Is body surface temperature measured on the single lambs' back a reliable indicator of the ewe-lamb bond around birth?

In extensive sheep production systems, most of the lambs' deaths are related to their low vitality at birth, and an inadequate ewe-lamb bond, leading to lambs' hypothermia. In this context, the aim of this study was to determine if lambs' rectal and body surface temperatures were related to the ewes and lambs behaviours at birth and during a separation-reunion test performed 24-36 h later. Rectal and body surface temperatures of lambs were recorded using a digital thermometer and an infrared thermal camera, respectively, and were related to several ewe and lamb behaviours. Rectal temperature was inversely related to the duration of the first suckling at birth. As for lambs' weight, body surface temperatures recorded at birth were inversely related to its latency to suckle for the first time. Body surface temperatures recorded during a separation-reunion test were positively related to the ewe-lamb distance during it. Body surface temperature recorded at birth was negatively related to behaviours recorded during the separation-reunion test, such as the number of lamb vocalizations, the ewe-lamb distance and the latency to suckle after the ewe-lamb separation. Body surface temperatures were greater after the separation-reunion test than at birth. We concluded that lambs' body surface temperatures seem to be indicators of the lambs' vitality at birth and of the strength of the ewe-lamb bond measured one day after birth.

A case of visuo-auditory sensory substitution in rats.

Sensory substitution refers to a process whereby an agent, by means of a removable specialized instrumentation, becomes capable of exploiting an available sensory modality in order to perceive properties of the environment which are normally accessible by means of a different modality. We describe a situation of visual-auditory sensory substitution in the rat. Rats were placed in complete darkness, and trained to follow a virtual path whose position was signalled by a sound activated by a video-tracking device. Our hypothesis was that the rats would be able to succeed in this task of spatial navigation, following the sound contour by means of sensory-motor coupling based on seeking the sound (all-or-none) and mastering the relation between their own actions and the expected sensory feedback. Our results confirm this hypothesis and show the progressive structuring of meaningful exploratory activity, leading from the appearance of stopping behaviour when the sound is lost or acceleration when the sound is discovered, up to a veritable sensory-motor strategy which maximizes the possibilities for discovering and following the sound path. Thus, the animals seem to have developed a new form of perception which translates in particular into motor behaviour adapted to the search for sound.

First evidence of neuronal connections between specific parts of the periaqueductal gray (PAG) and the rest of the brain in sheep: placing the sheep PAG in the circuit of emotion.

The periaqueductal gray (PAG) is a mesencephalic brain structure organised in subdivisions with specific anatomical connections with the rest of the brain. These connections support the different PAG functions and especially its role in emotion. Mainly described in territorial and predatory mammals, examination of the PAG connections suggests an opposite role of the ventral and the dorsal/lateral PAG in passive and active coping style, respectively. In mammals, the organisation of PAG connections may reflect the coping style of each species. Based on this hypothesis, we investigated the anatomical connections of the PAG in sheep, a gregarious and prey species. Since emotional responses expressed by sheep are typical of active coping style, we focused our interest on the dorsal and lateral parts of the PAG. After injection of fluorogold and fluororuby, the most numerous connections occurred with the anterior cingulate gyrus, the anterior hypothalamic region, the ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus and the PAG itself. Our observations show that the sheep PAG belongs to the neuronal circuit of emotion and has specific parts as in other mammals. However, unlike other mammals, we observed very few connections between PAG and either the thalamic or the amygdalar nuclei. Interestingly, when comparing across species, the PAG connections of sheep were noticeably more like those previously described in other social species, rabbits and squirrel monkeys, than those in territorial species, rats or cats.

Periaqueductal gray and emotions: the complexity of the problem and the light at the end of the tunnel, the magnetic resonance imaging.

The periaqueductal gray (PAG) is less referred in relationship with emotions than other parts of the brain (e.g. cortex, thalamus, amygdala), most probably because of the difficulty to reach and manipulate this small and deeply lying structure. After defining how to evaluate emotions, we have reviewed the literature and summarized data of the PAG contribution to the feeling of emotions focusing on the behavioral and neurochemical considerations. In humans, emotions can be characterized by three main domains: the physiological changes, the communicative expressions, and the subjective experiences. In animals, the physiological changes can mainly be studied. Indeed, early studies have considered the PAG as an important center of the emotions-related autonomic and motoric processes. However, in vivo imaging have changed our view by highlighting the PAG as a significant player in emotions-related cognitive processes. The PAG lies on the crossroad of networks important in the regulation of emotions and therefore it should not be neglected. In vivo imaging represents a good tool for studying this structure in living organism and may reveal new information about its role beyond its importance in the neurovegetative regulation.

The benefits of magnetic resonance imaging methods to extend the knowledge of the anatomical organisation of the periaqueductal gray in mammals.

The periaqueductal gray (PAG) is a mesencephalic brain structure involved in the expression of numerous behaviours such as maternal, sexual and emotional. Histological approaches showed the PAG is composed by subdivisions with specific cell organisation, neurochemical composition and connections with the rest of the brain. The comparison of studies performed in rodents and cats as the most often examined species, suggests that PAG organisation differs between mammals. However, we should also consider the plurality of the methods used in these studies that makes difficult the comparison of the PAG organisation between species. Therefore, to study the PAG in all mammals including human, the most relevant in vivo imaging method seems to be the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The purpose of this review was to summarize the knowledge of the anatomical organisation of the PAG in mammals and highlights the benefits of MRI methods to extend this knowledge. Results obtained by MRI so far support the conclusions of ex vivo studies, especially to describe the subdivisions and the connections of the PAG. In these latter, diffusion-weighted MRI and functional connectivity seem the most appropriate methods. In conclusion firstly, the MRI seems to be the best judicious method to compare species and improve the comprehension of the role of the PAG. Secondly, MRI is an in vivo method aimed to manage repeated measures in the same cohort of subjects allowing to study the impact of aging and the development on the anatomical organisation of the PAG.