Neural and Genetic Basis of Vocal Communication

描述（由申请人提供）：声音交流是人类高度发展的特征，提供了人类社会互动的核心模式。因此，人类的声音交流障碍是一个重大的公共卫生挑战。幸运的是，声音交流不是人类独有的，可以在鸣禽和啮齿动物中进行实验研究。作为人类语言习得的动物模型，鸟鸣是无与伦比的，因为就像人类婴儿一样，羽翼未丰的鸣禽通过模仿成年看护者的声音来学习发声。相比之下，啮齿动物模型提供了一种手段来研究声音的感知，相对孤立的声音运动学习的机制。啮齿动物模型也带来了强大的工具，在遗传，分子和系统水平上扰乱大脑的显着优势。然而，为了最大限度地提高对人类健康的潜在益处，重要的是开始整合跨物种的研究结果，以确定最保守的机制，因为这些机制最有可能与人类共享。我们提议的会议题为“语音通信的神经和遗传基础”是对NIH研究所几位主任所表示的兴趣的直接回应，以促进研究鸟鸣和哺乳动物语音通信模型的研究人员之间的对话和参与。我们会议的目标将是确定支持鸣禽，哺乳动物和人类之间声音交流的神经和遗传组织的一般原则，重点关注未来研究的途径，这将对人类健康产生最大的积极影响。 公共卫生相关性：声音交流是人类经验的核心，理解和治疗人类语言病理仍然是一个重大的公共卫生挑战。幸运的是，声音交流并不是人类独有的，这一挑战已经通过对鸣禽和啮齿动物声音交流的实验研究得到了部分解决。然而，为了使人类利益最大化，重要的是开始整合跨物种的研究结果，以确定最保守的机制，因为这些机制最有可能与人类共享。建议召开一次会议（声音交流的神经和遗传基础），确定鸣禽、啮齿动物和人类声音交流的保守神经和遗传机制，重点关注未来研究的途径，这将对人类健康产生最大的积极影响。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Vocal communication is a highly developed trait in humans, providing a core mode of human social interaction. Disorders of vocal communication in humans therefore represent a significant public health challenge. Fortunately, vocal communication is not uniquely human, and can be studied experimentally in songbirds and rodents. Birdsong has no equal as an animal model of human language acquisition because, like human infants, fledgling songbirds learn their vocalizations by imitating the vocal sounds of their adult care-givers. By comparison, rodent models provide a means to study the perception of vocal sounds in relative isolation from the mechanisms of vocal-motor learning. Rodent models also bring the significant advantage of powerful tools for perturbing the brain at the genetic, molecular, and systems level. However, to maximize the potential benefit to human health it is important to begin to integrate findings across species in order to identify the most deeply conserved mechanisms, as these are the mechanisms most likely to be shared with humans. Our proposed conference titled 'NEURAL AND GENETIC BASIS OF VOCAL COMMUNICATION' is a direct response to interest stated by several Directors of NIH Institutes to facilitate dialog and engagement between researchers who study birdsong and mammalian models of vocal communication. The goal of our conference will be to identify the general principles of neural and genetic organization that support vocal communication across songbirds, mammals, and humans, bringing into focus the avenues of future investigation that will produce the greatest positive impact on human health. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Vocal communication is at the core of the human experience and understanding and treating human speech-language pathologies remains a significant public health challenge. Fortunately, vocal communication is not unique to humans and this challenge has been addressed in part by experimental studies of vocal communication in songbirds and rodents. However, to maximize human benefit it is important to begin to integrate findings across species in order to identify the most deeply conserved mechanisms, as these are the mechanisms most likely to be shared with humans. A conference is proposed (NEURAL AND GENETIC BASIS OF VOCAL COMMUNICATION) that will identify conserved neural and genetic mechanisms for vocal communication in songbirds, rodents, and humans, bringing into focus the avenues of future investigation that will produce the greatest positive impact on human health.