TY - JOUR
T1 - A customizable 3-dimensional digital atlas of the canary brain in multiple modalities
AU - Vellema, Michiel
AU - Verschueren, Jacob
AU - Van Meir, Vincent
AU - Van der Linden, Annemie
N1 - Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
PY - 2011
Y1 - 2011
N2 - Songbirds are well known for their ability to learn their vocalizations by imitating conspecific adults. This uncommon skill has led to many studies examining the behavioral and neurobiological processes involved in vocal learning. Canaries display a variable, seasonally dependent, vocal behavior throughout their lives. This trait makes this bird species particularly valuable to study the functional relationship between the continued plasticity in the singing behavior and alterations in the anatomy and physiology of the brain. In order to optimally interpret these types of studies, a detailed understanding of the brain anatomy is essential. Because traditional 2-dimensional brain atlases are limited in the information they can provide about the anatomy of the brain, here we present a 3-dimensional MRI-based atlas of the canary brain. Using multiple imaging protocols we were able to maximize the number of detectable brain regions, including most of the areas involved in song perception, learning, and production. The brain atlas can readily be used to determine the stereotactic location of delineated brain areas at any desirable head angle. Alternatively the brain data can be used to determine the ideal orientation of the brain for stereotactic injections, electrophysiological recordings, and brain sectioning. The 3-dimensional canary brain atlas presented here is freely available and is easily adaptable to support many types of neurobiological studies, including anatomical, electrophysiological, histological, explant, and tracer studies.
AB - Songbirds are well known for their ability to learn their vocalizations by imitating conspecific adults. This uncommon skill has led to many studies examining the behavioral and neurobiological processes involved in vocal learning. Canaries display a variable, seasonally dependent, vocal behavior throughout their lives. This trait makes this bird species particularly valuable to study the functional relationship between the continued plasticity in the singing behavior and alterations in the anatomy and physiology of the brain. In order to optimally interpret these types of studies, a detailed understanding of the brain anatomy is essential. Because traditional 2-dimensional brain atlases are limited in the information they can provide about the anatomy of the brain, here we present a 3-dimensional MRI-based atlas of the canary brain. Using multiple imaging protocols we were able to maximize the number of detectable brain regions, including most of the areas involved in song perception, learning, and production. The brain atlas can readily be used to determine the stereotactic location of delineated brain areas at any desirable head angle. Alternatively the brain data can be used to determine the ideal orientation of the brain for stereotactic injections, electrophysiological recordings, and brain sectioning. The 3-dimensional canary brain atlas presented here is freely available and is easily adaptable to support many types of neurobiological studies, including anatomical, electrophysiological, histological, explant, and tracer studies.
KW - Anatomy, Artistic
KW - Animals
KW - Atlases as Topic
KW - Brain
KW - Canaries
KW - Image Processing, Computer-Assisted
KW - Imaging, Three-Dimensional
KW - Magnetic Resonance Imaging
KW - Male
KW - Journal Article
KW - Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
U2 - 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2011.04.033
DO - 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2011.04.033
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 21565273
VL - 57
SP - 352
EP - 361
JO - NeuroImage
JF - NeuroImage
SN - 1053-8119
IS - 2
ER -