Acetylcholine injection into the amygdala elicits vocalization in domestic pigs (Sus scrofa).
In a pilot study we have injected the amygdala of five female pigs (age 8 weeks) with acetylcholine (ACh, 5.5muM/20mul) and recorded short latency utterances. The evoked vocalizations displayed the characteristics of natural screams in sonagram appearance and hearing impression. Quantitative analyses, too, revealed the similarity of the ACh-evoked vocalizations with natural screaming. The results demonstrate for the first time that aversive vocalizations can be triggered by cholinergic amygdala stimulation.
Manteuffel
Gerhard
G
Research Institute for the Biology of Farm Animals (FBN), FB Behavioural Physiology, Wilhelm-Stahl-Allee 2, 18196 Dummerstorf, Germany. manteuff@fbn-dummerstorf.de
Schön
Peter Christian
PC
Düpjan
Sandra
S
Tuchscherer
Armin
A
Bellmann
Olaf
O
D000109:Acetylcholine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000378:metabolism*; D000679:Amygdala / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D010865:Pilot Projects; D034421:Sus scrofa; D014828:Vocalization, Animal / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*
D000109:Acetylcholine