Testosterone triggers growth of brain vocal control nuclei in adult female canaries

Abstract

Two vocal control nuclei 3f the canary telencephalon, hyperstriatum ventrale, pars caudale (HVc) and nucleus robustus archistriatalis (RA), are larger in males, that learn complex songs, than in females, that normally do not sing. HVc and RA can be induced to grow by 90% and 53%, respectively, in adult gonadectomized females under the influence of testosterone, as these birds acquire male-like song. The magnitude of this effect is comparable, though of reversed sign, to that following early castration in males. This system is unique in the extent to which gross neural plasticity normally associated with early development can be induced in adulthood.