Identifying an Error Detection Circuit used for Internally Guided Learning

摘要： 某些行为，包括说话，是在没有外部惩罚或奖励的情况下学会的。尽管神经细胞 负责这种内部引导学习的电路仍然知之甚少，它们必须包括一个电路 它参照内部模型评估性能，并将产生的误差信号传输到 自适应增强行为的下游电路。这项提案的目标是确定可评估的 产生和传输错误信号的电路，对鸣禽内部引导的发声学习很重要。这个 将要研究的特定电路节点是为中脑提供直接输入的听觉皮质同系物 多巴胺神经元最近被证明能自适应地增强发声能力。我假设 这条相同的途径将在内部评估的两个不同例子的循环中发挥重要作用 行为：青少年复制背诵的辅导歌曲，成人恢复原创歌曲结构 长期暴露在扭曲的听觉反馈中。我将使用因果、闭合循环来检验这一假设 光遗传操作和相关的、宽领域的钙成像实验。目标的完成 在这项提案中，将阐明调节自我评估的神经回路，这是一种形式 内部引导的发声学习与人类的语音学习有相似之处。

Abstract: Certain behaviors, including speech, are learned without external punishment or reward. Although the neural circuits responsible for such internally guided learning remain poorly understood, they must include a circuit that evaluates performance with reference to an internal model and transmits the resulting error signals to downstream circuitry that adaptively reinforces behavior. The objective of this proposal is to identify evaluative circuits that generate and transmit error signals important to internally guided vocal learning in songbirds. The specific circuit node that will be studied is an auditory cortical homologue that provides direct input to midbrain dopamine neurons that have recently been shown to adaptively reinforce vocal performance. I hypothesize that this same pathway will be an essential player in the circuits of two discrete examples of internally evaluated behavior: juvenile copying of a memorized tutor song and adult recovery of original song structure following chronic exposure to distorted auditory feedback. I will test this hypothesis using causal, closed loop optogenetic manipulations and correlative, widefield calcium imaging experiments. The completion of the aims in this proposal will shed light on the neural circuits that mediate the self-evaluation necessary for a form of internally guided vocal learning that shares parallels to human speech learning.