RUI: Neural Basis for call Recognition and Response

在许多动物中，听觉的主要作用是交流。 那里 证明了许多动物的大脑都有神经细胞或神经 这些电路以某种方式被特别“调谐”， 声音的特定时间、持续时间或模式，如交配 电话 蟋蟀提供了非常有用的模型， 因为它们有单一的，可识别的神经细胞 可以进行生理记录 这个项目研究了单个神经细胞 在控制雌蟋蟀的识别和 对男性声音信号的反应 解剖和 单个细胞的编码特性将使用 具有可变参数的合成调用。 方法的开发 同时记录单个细胞， 积极地行动，转向识别的声源。 强大的单细胞灭活新技术， 将与行为测定一起使用，以确定 这些单细胞在呼叫识别和响应。 的 激素对这些细胞和行为的影响 会得到考验 结果将建立细胞回路的基础， 反应行为，这将是令人兴奋的听觉科学家， 并且也应该对那些从事信号编码的人感兴趣， 神经回路或交流行为。 结果也可以 与昆虫生物学和控制方面有关。

A major role for hearing in many animals is communication. There is evidence that many animal brains have nerve cells or nerve circuits that are in some way specifically "tuned" to recognize particular timing, duration, or pattern of sounds such as mating calls. Crickets have provided very useful models for investigation because they have single, identifiable nerve cells that are accessible for physiological recording. This project investigates the roles that individual nerve cells play in controlling the female cricket's recognition of and response to acoustic signals from the male. The anatomy and encoding properties of single cells will be determined using synthetic calls with variable parameters. Methods are developed to simultaneously record from single cells while the animal is actively behaving, turning toward the recognized sound source. Powerful new techniques for inactivation of single cells then will be used with a behavioral assay to determine the role of those single cells in the call recognition and response. The influences of hormones on these cells and on the behaviors also will be tested. Results will establish the cellular circuitry underlying this response behavior, and will be exciting to auditory scientists, and also should be interesting to those working on signal coding, neural circuits, or communication behavior. Results may also be relevant to aspects of insect biology and control.