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A three-dimensional digital atlas of the starling brain

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Abstract

Because of their sophisticated vocal behaviour, their social nature, their high plasticity and their robustness, starlings have become an important model species that is widely used in studies of neuroethology of song production and perception. Since magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) represents an increasingly relevant tool for comparative neuroscience, a 3D MRI-based atlas of the starling brain becomes essential. Using multiple imaging protocols we delineated several sensory systems as well as the song control system. This starling brain atlas can easily be used to determine the stereotactic location of identified neural structures at any angle of the head. Additionally, the atlas is useful to find the optimal angle of sectioning for slice experiments, stereotactic injections and electrophysiological recordings. The starling brain atlas is freely available for the scientific community.

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to Steven Staelens and Steven Deleye from MICA (Universiteit Antwerpen) for support during CT scans. This research was supported by a joint “Tournesol” Grant (Project No. 20371TA) from the Flemish and French governments to I. G., a “PICS” Grant (Project No. 5992) from the French CNRS to I. G. and G. DG and Grants from the Research Foundation—Flanders (FWO, Project No. G030213N and G044311N), the Hercules Foundation (Grant No. AUHA0012), Concerted Research Actions (GOA Funding) from the University of Antwerp and Interuniversity Attraction Poles (IAP) (‘PLASTOCINE’: P7/17) to A.VdL. I. G., H. C. and M. H. are supported by the University of Rennes 1 and by the French CNRS. O. G. was supported by the DFG via SFB874. G. DG is a Postdoctoral Fellow of the Research Foundation—Flanders (FWO).

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All applicable international, national, and/or institutional guidelines for the care and use of animals were followed. All procedures performed in studies involving animals were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institution or practice at which the studies were conducted.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Bio-Imaging Lab, University of Antwerp, Campus Drie Eiken, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Wilrijk, Belgium

    Geert De Groof, Sara Touj, Elisabeth Jonckers & Annemie Van der Linden

  2. UMR6552-Ethologie Animale Et Humaine, Université Rennes 1-CNRS, Rennes, France

    Isabelle George, Sara Touj, Hugo Cousillas & Martine Hausberger

  3. Department of Biopsychology, Faculty of Psychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Ruhr-University Bochum, 44780, Bochum, Germany

    Martin Stacho & Onur Güntürkün

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  1. Geert De Groof
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  2. Isabelle George
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  3. Sara Touj
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  4. Martin Stacho
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  5. Elisabeth Jonckers
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  8. Onur Güntürkün
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  9. Annemie Van der Linden
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Correspondence to Geert De Groof.

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De Groof, G., George, I., Touj, S. et al. A three-dimensional digital atlas of the starling brain. Brain Struct Funct 221, 1899–1909 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00429-015-1011-1

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