Temporal Dynamics of Neural Plasticity During Auditory Discrimination Learning

听觉辨别学习过程中神经可塑性的时间动态

• 批准号: 7409284
• 负责人: DEREK G ZARAZA
• 金额: $ 4.01万
• 依托单位: UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 2007
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2007-12-01 至 2010-11-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/7409284
• 关键词: Address; Animals; Area; Auditory; Auditory area; Behavior; Behavioral; Biological Models; Birds; Brain region; Chronic; Cognition; Complex; Daily; Data; Discrimination; Discrimination Learning; Elements; Environment; European; Exhibits; Fire - disasters; Gene Expression; Human; Immediate-Early Genes; Impairment; Individual; Knowledge; Language; Learning; Light; Maintenance; Mammals; Memory; Methods; Modeling; Modification; Monitor; Neuronal Plasticity; Neurons; Numbers; Pattern; Phase; Plastics; Population; Process; Property; Research; Semantics; Sensory; Series; Songbirds; Speech; Speech Development; Stimulus; Sturnus vulgaris; Synapses; System; Techniques; Testing; Time; Training; auditory discrimination; awake; day; extracellular; insight; long term memory; novel; receptive field; relating to nervous system; research study; response; theories; vocalization

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Songbirds such as starlings provide an excellent model for speech development and auditory recognition and learning. Behavioral data indicates that starlings rely on recognition of specific elements of song to identify their neighbors and extracellular electrophysiological and IEG (immediate early gene) studies have revealed that neurons in high-level auditory areas respond selectively to these song elements. Previous studies in starlings, as well as mammals indicate that learning of a sensory task modulates the firing properties of neurons in primary and high-level sensory areas. Starlings readily adapt to an operant training environment, exhibiting rapidly learning of complex auditory "objects" related to song recognition behavior in the wild. The application aims to determine how the response of auditory neurons to training stimuli evolves over the full course of learning while testing theories on auditory memory consolidation and interference. In order to examine changes in neural representations in fine temporal and spatial detail while monitoring the changes within the entire region over the full course of learning, both chronic behaving and awake restrained multisite single unit electrophysiological techniques will be used. This will permit observation of modifications in the response properties of single unit neurons as the bird performs individual trials in the training task, as well as assessment of shifts in the aggregate neural response strength of large populations of neurons occurring over the course of days. We will examine both how auditory memories are laid down and how these patterns change when new memories are acquired. Transitory, broadly distributed changes in strength of resposne to individual song "motifs" will be indicative of an initial acquisition phase. Longer- term changes in number or strength of small set of selectively responding neurons will be related to memory maintenance. These experiments have the potential to shed light on how auditory memories are formed and pass from a labile state to become fixed in long-term memory. Our ability to memorize and rapidly retrieve words is a fundamental element of human cognition, contributing to semantics in speech and language. A variety of illnesses can disrupt this process leading to devastating impairment, yet treatment is hindered because the basic neuronal substrates for high-level auditory processing are poorly understood. Here we application research on a novel animal system that has great promise to give insights into how auditory memories are formed and maintained.

描述（由申请人提供）：鸣禽，如椋鸟，为语音发育和听觉识别和学习提供了一个很好的模型。行为数据表明，椋鸟依赖于识别特定的歌曲元素，以确定他们的邻居和细胞外电生理和IEG（立即早期基因）的研究表明，在高层次的听觉区的神经元选择性地响应这些歌曲元素。先前对椋鸟和哺乳动物的研究表明，对感觉任务的学习调节了初级和高级感觉区神经元的放电特性。椋鸟很容易适应一个操作性的训练环境，表现出快速学习复杂的听觉“对象”相关的歌曲识别行为在野外。该应用程序旨在确定听觉神经元对训练刺激的反应如何在整个学习过程中演变，同时测试听觉记忆巩固和干扰的理论。为了检查精细的时间和空间细节中的神经表征的变化，同时监测整个学习过程中整个区域内的变化，将使用慢性行为和清醒限制的多部位单单位电生理技术。这将允许观察单个单位神经元的响应特性的修改，因为鸟在训练任务中进行单独的试验，以及评估在一天的过程中发生的大量神经元的总神经响应强度的变化。我们将研究听觉记忆是如何形成的，以及当获得新的记忆时，这些模式是如何变化的。短暂的，广泛分布的变化强度的响应个别歌曲的“图案”将是一个初始的收购阶段的指示。一小组选择性反应神经元的数量或强度的长期变化将与记忆维持有关。这些实验有可能揭示听觉记忆是如何形成的，以及如何从不稳定状态转变为固定在长期记忆中。我们记忆和快速检索单词的能力是人类认知的基本要素，有助于言语和语言的语义。各种疾病可以破坏这一过程，导致毁灭性的损害，但治疗受到阻碍，因为高级听觉处理的基本神经元底物知之甚少。在这里，我们对一个新的动物系统进行应用研究，这个系统很有希望深入了解听觉记忆是如何形成和维持的。