Neural Correlates of Flight Acceleration in Pigeons: Gamma-Band Activity and Local Functional Network Dynamics in the AId Region
Flight behavior in pigeons is governed by intricate neural mechanisms that regulate movement patterns and flight dynamics. Among various kinematic parameters, flight acceleration provides critical information for the brain to modulate movement intensity, speed, and direction. However, the neural rep...
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MDPI AG
2025-06-01
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| author | Suchen Li Zhuo Tang Mengmeng Li Lifang Yang Zhigang Shang |
| author_facet | Suchen Li Zhuo Tang Mengmeng Li Lifang Yang Zhigang Shang |
| author_sort | Suchen Li |
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| description | Flight behavior in pigeons is governed by intricate neural mechanisms that regulate movement patterns and flight dynamics. Among various kinematic parameters, flight acceleration provides critical information for the brain to modulate movement intensity, speed, and direction. However, the neural representation mechanisms underlying flight acceleration remain insufficiently understood. To address this, we conducted outdoor free-flight experiments in homing pigeons, during which GPS data, flight posture, and eight-channel local field potentials (LFPs) were synchronously recorded. Our analysis revealed that gamma-band activity in the dorsal intermediate arcopallium (AId) region was more prominent during behaviorally demanding phases of flight. In parallel, local functional network analysis showed that the clustering coefficient of gamma-band activity in the AId followed a nonlinear, U-shaped relationship with flight acceleration—exhibiting the strongest and most widespread connectivity during deceleration, moderate connectivity during acceleration, and the weakest network coupling during steady flight. This pattern likely reflects the increased neural demands associated with flight phase transitions, where greater cognitive and sensorimotor integration is required. Furthermore, using LFP signals from five distinct frequency bands as input, machine learning models were developed to decode flight acceleration, further confirming the role of gamma-band dynamics in motor regulation during natural flight. This study provides the first evidence that gamma-band activity in the avian AId region encodes flight acceleration, offering new insights into the neural representation of motor states in natural flight and implications for bio-inspired flight control systems. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-d670d49cdf214f7b9f7e94194725ee2b |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2076-2615 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| spelling | doaj-art-d670d49cdf214f7b9f7e94194725ee2b2025-08-20T02:35:42ZengMDPI AGAnimals2076-26152025-06-011513185110.3390/ani15131851Neural Correlates of Flight Acceleration in Pigeons: Gamma-Band Activity and Local Functional Network Dynamics in the AId RegionSuchen Li0Zhuo Tang1Mengmeng Li2Lifang Yang3Zhigang Shang4School of Electrical and Information Engineering, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, ChinaSchool of Electrical and Information Engineering, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, ChinaSchool of Electrical and Information Engineering, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, ChinaSchool of Electrical and Information Engineering, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, ChinaSchool of Electrical and Information Engineering, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, ChinaFlight behavior in pigeons is governed by intricate neural mechanisms that regulate movement patterns and flight dynamics. Among various kinematic parameters, flight acceleration provides critical information for the brain to modulate movement intensity, speed, and direction. However, the neural representation mechanisms underlying flight acceleration remain insufficiently understood. To address this, we conducted outdoor free-flight experiments in homing pigeons, during which GPS data, flight posture, and eight-channel local field potentials (LFPs) were synchronously recorded. Our analysis revealed that gamma-band activity in the dorsal intermediate arcopallium (AId) region was more prominent during behaviorally demanding phases of flight. In parallel, local functional network analysis showed that the clustering coefficient of gamma-band activity in the AId followed a nonlinear, U-shaped relationship with flight acceleration—exhibiting the strongest and most widespread connectivity during deceleration, moderate connectivity during acceleration, and the weakest network coupling during steady flight. This pattern likely reflects the increased neural demands associated with flight phase transitions, where greater cognitive and sensorimotor integration is required. Furthermore, using LFP signals from five distinct frequency bands as input, machine learning models were developed to decode flight acceleration, further confirming the role of gamma-band dynamics in motor regulation during natural flight. This study provides the first evidence that gamma-band activity in the avian AId region encodes flight acceleration, offering new insights into the neural representation of motor states in natural flight and implications for bio-inspired flight control systems.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/15/13/1851pigeonflight accelerationlocal field potentialsgammalocal functional network |
| spellingShingle | Suchen Li Zhuo Tang Mengmeng Li Lifang Yang Zhigang Shang Neural Correlates of Flight Acceleration in Pigeons: Gamma-Band Activity and Local Functional Network Dynamics in the AId Region Animals pigeon flight acceleration local field potentials gamma local functional network |
| title | Neural Correlates of Flight Acceleration in Pigeons: Gamma-Band Activity and Local Functional Network Dynamics in the AId Region |
| title_full | Neural Correlates of Flight Acceleration in Pigeons: Gamma-Band Activity and Local Functional Network Dynamics in the AId Region |
| title_fullStr | Neural Correlates of Flight Acceleration in Pigeons: Gamma-Band Activity and Local Functional Network Dynamics in the AId Region |
| title_full_unstemmed | Neural Correlates of Flight Acceleration in Pigeons: Gamma-Band Activity and Local Functional Network Dynamics in the AId Region |
| title_short | Neural Correlates of Flight Acceleration in Pigeons: Gamma-Band Activity and Local Functional Network Dynamics in the AId Region |
| title_sort | neural correlates of flight acceleration in pigeons gamma band activity and local functional network dynamics in the aid region |
| topic | pigeon flight acceleration local field potentials gamma local functional network |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/15/13/1851 |
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