Convergence in Vocal Premotor Coding

描述(由申请人提供)：尚不清楚是否存在学习到的运动行为的最佳编码策略。发声学习是一种很好的行为，可以用来研究这个问题，因为所有发声学习物种都有类似的限制。这项研究将询问鹦鹉对声音表示的编码方式是否类似于之前在鸣禽中描述的声音编码策略。鸟鸣是由两个前运动前脑核团之间的稀疏到详细的时间代码编码的。这个应用程序询问这种编码策略是否在鹦鹉前脑中类似的运动前回路中获得。我们将在澳大利亚鹦鹉学习发声的过程中，使用单细胞慢性录音来研究这个问题。这些研究将使我们能够准确地评估运动输出和运动前神经活动之间的关系。如果类似的编码策略在鸣禽和鹦鹉中并不明显，这表明即使在鸟类中，学习发声的运动前表征也不是高度受限的。或者，如果保留编码策略，将促进对其他发声学习物种的进一步研究，以便建立一个比较数据集，为将来更广泛地学习发声的编码策略的分支分析提供一个比较数据集。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): It is not known if optimal coding strategies exist for learned motor behavior. Vocal learning is an excellent behavior in which this issue can be examined because all vocal learning species share similar constraints. This research will ask if parrots encode vocal representations in a manner similar to the vocal coding strategy previously described in songbirds. Birdsong is coded by a sparse-to-detailed temporal code between two premotor forebrain nuclei. This application asks if this coding strategy obtains in an analogous premotor circuit in the parrot forebrain. We will examine this issue using single cell chronic recordings during the production of learned vocalizations in an Australian parrot, the budgerigar. These studies will allow us to accurately assess the relation between motor output and premotor neural activity. If similar coding strategies are not evident among songbirds and parrots, it suggests that premotor representations for learned vocalizations are not highly constrained even among birds. Alternatively, if coding strategies are retained it will spur further investigation into other vocal learning species in order to establish a comparative data set for future cladistic analysis for coding strategies for learned vocalizations more generally.