Neural Circuits Underlying Auditory Processing and Perception of Vocal Sounds

听觉处理和声音感知的神经回路

基本信息

批准号：
8545151
负责人：
Sarah W Bottjer
金额：
$ 19.53万
依托单位：
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
依托单位国家：
美国
项目类别：
财政年份：
2012
资助国家：
美国
起止时间：
2012-09-13 至 2015-08-31
项目状态：
已结题

来源：
https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/8545151
关键词：
Acoustics Adolescent Adult Animal Model Auditory Auditory Perceptual Disorders Auditory area Autistic Disorder Behavioral Biological Assay Birds Brain Child Cognitive Communication Communication impairment Complex Data Development Developmental reading disorder Environment Future Gilles de la Tourette syndrome Hearing Hearing problem Human Individual Infant Knowledge Language Learning Life Measures Memory Modeling Molecular Motor Neurons Pattern Perception Perceptual learning Phase Population Process Production Research Seminal Sensory Signal Pathway Songbirds Staging Testing Translations Work auditory feedback base developmental disease experience improved motor learning neural circuit novel novel strategies object recognition prevent relating to nervous system research study response skills sound therapy development vocal learning vocalization

项目摘要

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Songbirds, like humans, learn specific sounds used for vocal communication during a sensitive period of development. The first stage in all models of vocal learning for both songbirds and humans is the formation of a template memory based on auditory experience with sounds heard from vocal "tutors". Once a neural representation of tutor song is formed this memory guides sensorimotor integration as the bird learns to imitate the song by vocalizing and using auditory feedback to compare its incipient vocalizations to that tutor memory. The existence of a stable memory of tutor vocal sounds in songbirds was first demonstrated behaviorally by seminal work in the 1950's, but identification of the neural loci encoding representations of this memory has been elusive. We will test the hypothesis that the auditory template memory of vocal sounds is localized to NCM, a region of higher-level auditory cortex, by recording the activity of individual NCM neurons and examining whether they develop selective responsivity to learned tutor sounds. We will then investigate whether experience-dependent changes in neural responsivity also guide improvements in the ability to perceptually distinguish learned vocal sounds. The aims of this project investigate fundamental mechanisms of forming an auditory template for vocal learning: (Aim 1) Do NCM neurons develop selective tuning to tutor sounds based on specific auditory experience during the sensitive period for vocal learning and thereby acquire a representation of tutor song? If so, then neural activity in a population of NCM neurons should develop a strong and selective response only to learned tutor sounds. Furthermore, the strength of selective responsivity in NCM neurons should predict the subsequent ability to imitate the tutor song, and blockade of cellular signaling pathways that prohibit imitative learning should also disrupt the development of selective neural tuning. (Aim 2) How does the acquisition of selective neural tuning to vocal sounds in NCM neurons relate to perception? We will test the hypothesis that the emergence of selective neural tuning in NCM neurons underlies not only the acquisition of a template memory of tutor sounds, but also the ability to perceptually distinguish learned vocal sounds. In summary, this research will reveal how the brain encodes and remembers auditory-vocal sounds and how such processes contribute to developmental improvements in the ability to perceive learned vocal sounds. Songbirds provide an essential model for experimentally testing cellular and circuit mechanisms of vocal learning that are relevant to hearing and communication disorders in humans. The results of these experiments will advance our understanding of sound object recognition and categorical perception relevant to auditory-vocal communication, and enable the development of treatments for a variety of hearing and communication disorders.

描述（由申请人提供）：像人类一样，鸣禽在敏感的开发时期学习用于声带交流的特定声音。鸣禽和人类的所有声音学习模型中的第一阶段是基于听觉体验的模板记忆的形成，并从声音“ Tutors”中听到的声音。一旦形成了导师歌的神经表示，这种记忆将指导感觉运动集成，因为该鸟通过发声和使用听觉反馈来模仿歌曲，以将其初期的发声与教师记忆进行比较。首先是通过1950年代的开创性作品在行为上证明了鸣禽中稳定记忆声音的稳定记忆的存在，但是对这种记忆的神经基因座编码表示的识别是难以捉摸的。我们将通过记录单个NCM神经元的活性并检查他们是否对学习的辅导员的声音进行选择性响应性来检验，即声音的听觉模板记忆本地化为NCM（高级听觉皮层的一个区域）。然后，我们将研究神经反应性的经验依赖性变化是否也指导了感知区分学习声音的能力的改进。该项目的目的调查了形成声音学习的听觉模板的基本机制：（目标1）NCM神经元是否在敏感的声音学习期间根据特定的听觉经验开发了选择性调整，从而为导师的声音开发了声音的声音，从而获得了导师歌曲的代表？如果是这样，那么神经活动 NCM神经元的种群应对学习的导师声音产生强烈而有选择性的反应。此外，NCM神经元中选择性响应的强度应预测随后模仿导师歌曲的能力，以及禁止模仿学习的细胞信号传导途径的阻塞也应破坏选择性神经调谐的发展。（目标2）在NCM神经元中，选择性神经调整对声音的获取与感知有何关系？我们将检验以下假设：NCM神经元中选择性神经调整的出现不仅是获取导师声音的模板记忆，而且还具有感知区分学习的声音的能力。总而言之，这项研究将揭示大脑如何编码和记住听觉声音的声音，以及此类过程如何有助于感知学到的声音的能力的发展。鸣禽为与人类的听力和沟通障碍相关的人声学习的细胞和电路机制提供了一个必不可少的模型。这些实验的结果将提高我们对与听觉 - 声音交流有关的声音对象识别和分类感知的理解，并能够开发各种听力和沟通障碍的治疗方法。