Artificial grammar learning by humans and animals: behavioral process and brain functioning

我们测试了鸟类（孟加拉雀）是否能够证明从行为和神经水平的例子中提取简单规则的能力。在行为实验中，通过一种可操作的go-nogo程序来测试鸟类，以区分两组声音强度不同的声音。在八只被测试的鸟中，只有一只学会了辨别。这只鸟通过探测测试证明了学习规则的普遍性。在神经实验中，在麻醉鸟的高级听觉区NCM记录单单位听觉反应。一个古怪的球任务表明，约30%的神经元表现出习惯性disabituation属性。其中，7%的人表现出广义反应特性，表明规则的提取。

We tested whether birds (Bengalese finches) are able to demonstrate the capacity to extract a simple rule from examples at a behavioral and a neural level. In the behavioral experiment, birds were tested by an operant go-nogo procedure to discriminate between two groups of sounds that differed on the pattern of sound intensity. Of eight birds tested only one learned the discrimination. This bird demonstrated the generalization of the learned rule through probe tests. In the neural experiment, single-unit auditory responses were recorded in the higher auditory area NCM in anesthetized birds. An odd-ball task showed that about 30% of neurons showed habituation-dishabituation property. Among these, 7% showed generalized response property suggesting the extraction of the rule.