Open AccessBreathtaking Songs: Coordinating the Neural Circuits for Breathing and Singing
Author(s) -
Marc F. Schmidt,
Franz Goller
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
physiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.14
H-Index - 125
eISSN - 1548-9213
pISSN - 1548-9221
DOI - 10.1152/physiol.00004.2016
Subject(s) - singing , breathing , neuroscience , biological neural network , duration (music) , feature (linguistics) , communication , diversity (politics) , range (aeronautics) , psychology , biology , speech recognition , computer science , acoustics , anatomy , physics , linguistics , engineering , philosophy , sociology , anthropology , aerospace engineering
The vocal behavior of birds is remarkable for its diversity, and songs can feature elaborate characteristics such as long duration, rapid temporal pattern, and broad frequency range. The respiratory system plays a central role in generating the complex song patterns that must be integrated with its life-sustaining functions. Here, we explore how precise coordination between the neural circuits for breathing and singing is fundamental to production of these remarkable behaviors.