Seasonal Neuroplasticity in the Songbird Telencephalon: A Role for Melatonin

Neuroplasticity in the vocal control system of songbirds is strongly influenced by seasonal fluctuations in circulating testosterone. These seasonally plastic telencephalic structures are implicated in the learning and production of song in songbirds. The role of the indoleamine melatonin in seasona...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS 1999-04, Vol.96 (8), p.4674-4679
Main Authors: Bentley, George E., Thomas J. Van't Hof, Ball, Gregory F.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal communication
Animal reproduction
Animals
Biological Sciences
Bird songs
Birds
Blood plasma
Capsules
Hormones
Learning
Male
Melatonin - blood
Melatonin - physiology
Nervous system
Neurology
Neuronal Plasticity
Neuroplasticity
Photoperiod
Seasons
Secretion
Sex hormones
Songbirds
Songbirds - physiology
Starlings
Telencephalon - physiology
Vocalization, Animal
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Summary:Neuroplasticity in the vocal control system of songbirds is strongly influenced by seasonal fluctuations in circulating testosterone. These seasonally plastic telencephalic structures are implicated in the learning and production of song in songbirds. The role of the indoleamine melatonin in seasonal adaptations in birds has remained unclear. In this experiment, European starlings were castrated to remove the neuromodulating activity of gonadal steroids and were exposed to different photoperiods to induce reproductive states characteristic of different seasonal conditions. Long days increased the volume of the song-control nucleus high vocal center compared with its volume on short days. Exogenous melatonin attenuated the long-day-induced volumetric increase in high vocal center and also decreased the volume of another song-control nucleus, area X. This effect was observed regardless of reproductive state. To our knowledge, this is the first direct evidence of a role for melatonin in functional plasticity within the central nervous system of vertebrates.
ISSN:0027-8424
1091-6490
DOI:10.1073/pnas.96.8.4674