The Physiological Control Of Mammalian Vocalization

To the majority of biologists, the physiological control of mammalian vocalizations is only a small part of the large field of motor physiology. It is indeed a very specialized part, and the number of scientists dealing with it is relatively small. Still, it is an autonomous subject embracing more than the motor control of the body and is, therefore, by far more complex. Anatomically, essential cerebral structures involved in the control of gross and fine movements of the mammalian body seem to participate in the control of the voice as well. The central control system, however, as well as the larynx (the primary effector organ), possess features not found in the remaining motor system. An example is the perfect synergism of the many muscles which control the m. vocaZis, not to speak of the speed of successions in which this occurs. Furthermore, this muscle, similar to the facial muscles, is segmentally adjustable independently of the joints. The most remarkable feature of the central control area, however, seems to be the effector organ's manifold direct and indirect dependence on the limbic system of the brain. This makes the voice--like no other motor organ (with the partial exception of the facial musculature)--the chief organ for the expression of emotion and the indicator of behavioral states. Except in man, the voice is in dependent of neocortical control. Animal vocalizations are species typical and genetically programmed. Ethologically, they belong to the behavioral class of fixed action patterns.

Handbook of Mammalian Vocalization is designed as a broad and comprehensive, but well-balanced book, written from the neuroscience point of view in the broad sense of this term. This well-illustrated Handbook pays particular attention to systematically organized details but also to the explanatory style of the text and internal cohesiveness of the content, so the successive chapters gradually develop a consistent story without losing the inherent complexity. Studies from many species are included, however rodents dominate, as most of the brain investigations were done on these species. The leading idea of the Handbook is that vocalizations evolved as highly adaptive specific signals, which are selectively picked up by the brain. The brain serves as a receptor and behavioural amplifier. Brain systems will be described, which allow vocal signals rapidly changing the entire state of the organism and trigger vital biological responses, usually also with accompanying emission of vocalizations. Integrative brain functions leading to vocal outcome will be described, along with the vocalization generators and motor output to larynx and other supportive motor subsystems. The last sections of the Handbook explains bioacoustic structure of vocalizations, present understanding of information coding, and origins of the complex semiotic/ semantic content of vocalizations in social mammals. The Handbook is a major source of information for professionals from many fields, with a neuroscience approach as a common denominator. The handbook provides consistent and unified understanding of all major aspects of vocalization in a monographic manner, and at the same time, gives an encyclopaedic overview of major topics associated with vocalization from molecular/ cellular level to behavior and cognitive processing. It is written in a strictly scientific way but clear enough to serve not only for specialized researchers in different fields of neuroscience but also for academic teachers of neuroscience, including behavioural neuroscience, affective neuroscience, clinical neuroscience, neuroethology, biopsychology, neurolingusitics, speech pathology, and other related fields, and also for research fellows, graduate and other advanced students, who widely need such a source publication. The first comprehensive handbook on what we know about vocalization in Mammalians Carefully edited, the handbook provides an integrated overview of the area International list of highly regarded contributors, including Jaak Pankseep (Washington State University), David McFarland (Oxford), John D. Newman (NIH ? Unit on Developmental Neuroethology), Gerd Poeggel (Leipzig), Shiba Keisuke (Chiba City, Japan), and others, tightly edited by a single, well regarded editor who has edited a special issue in Behavioral Brain Research on the topic before

Some investigators have argued that emotions, especially animal emotions, are illusory concepts outside the realm of scientific inquiry. However, with advances in neurobiology and neuroscience, researchers are demonstrating that this position is wrong as they move closer to a lasting understanding of the biology and psychology of emotion. In Affective Neuroscience, Jaak Panksepp provides the most up-to-date information about the brain-operating systems that organize the fundamental emotional tendencies of all mammals. Presenting complex material in a readable manner, the book offers a comprehensive summary of the fundamental neural sources of human and animal feelings, as well as a conceptual framework for studying emotional systems of the brain. Panksepp approaches emotions from the perspective of basic emotion theory but does not fail to address the complex issues raised by constructionist approaches. These issues include relations to human consciousness and the psychiatric implications of this knowledge. The book includes chapters on sleep and arousal, pleasure and fear systems, the sources of rage and anger, and the neural control of sexuality, as well as the more subtle emotions related to maternal care, social loss, and playfulness. Representing a synthetic integration of vast amounts of neurobehavioral knowledge, including relevant neuroanatomy, neurophysiology, and neurochemistry, this book will be one of the most important contributions to understanding the biology of emotions since Darwins The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals

Contributed volume reviewing the clinical and animal literature related to the pharmacology of anxiety and depression. The role of the hypothalmic-pituitary-adrenal axis in anxiety and depression is reviewed as well as the response of central catecholamines to chronic stress.

Neuroendocrine Regulation of Animal Vocalization: Mechanisms and Anthropogenic Factors in Animal Communication examines the underpinning neuroendocrine (NE) mechanisms that drive animal communication across taxa. Written by international subject experts, the book focuses on the importance of animal communication in survival and reproduction at an individual and species level, and the impact that increased production and accumulation of endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) can have on these regulatory processes. This book discusses sound production, perception, processing, and response across a range of animals. This includes insects, fish, bats, birds, nonhuman primates, infant humans, and many others. Some chapters analyze how neuroactive substances, endocrine control, and chemical pollution affect the physiology of the animal’s perceptive and sound-producing organs, as well as their auditory and vocal receptors and pathways. Other chapters address the recent approaches governments have taken to protect against the endocrine disruption of animal (vocal) behaviors. The book is a valuable resource for researchers and advanced students seeking first-rate material on neuroendocrinological effects on animal behavior and communication. Serves as the most comprehensive cross-taxa study of its kind, revolutionary in its focus on the impacts of EDCs on the processes guiding animal communication Emphasizes the importance of production, perception and processing of acoustic vocalization for survival Analyzes recent governmental policies and protections against the effects of EDCs on humans and wildlife