Functional coupling between frontal cortex and auditory cortex in echolocating bats

听觉和额叶皮层在声音产生和处理过程中相互作用，这些相互作用是听觉-动作循环的基本组成部分。在之前的一个项目（授权HE 7478/1-1）中，我们研究了蝙蝠大脑额叶和听觉皮层区域之间的激活动态。我们的发现为8篇文章提供了数据（6篇已发表，1篇已提交，1篇正在准备）。这些文章讨论了蝙蝠额叶皮层-听觉皮层（AC）网络中的神经振荡，以及该网络在被动听力环境下声音产生和声音分析中的参与。本建议被认为是上述赠款的延长。我们提出了两个工作包（W1和W2），旨在继续研究蝙蝠额-交流回路的神经活动。在W1中，我们将评估清醒蝙蝠额部和交流区的声学周期性编码和刺激特异性适应。这种研究蝙蝠大脑声音编码的“网络”方法是前所未有的。在W2中，将研究将蝙蝠置于摆动的钟摆上引起的回声定位产生过程中的神经活动。研究在摆锤上摇摆的蝙蝠发声的神经关联，将使我们能够评估在实验室创造的类似鸡尾酒会的声音控制场景中发声的神经基础。所提出的实验将产生原始数据，这将促进对蝙蝠回声定位基本机制的了解，以及对哺乳动物听觉编码和发声行为的皮层相互作用的一般原理的了解。

Auditory and frontal cortices interact with one another during sound production and processing, and these interactions are a fundamental component of the hearing-action cycle. In a previous project (grant HE 7478/1-1) we studied the dynamics of activation between frontal and auditory cortex areas of the bat brain. Our findings produced data for 8 articles (6 published, 1 submitted and 1 under preparation). These articles dealt with neural oscillations in the frontal cortex - auditory cortex (AC) network of bats, and the involvement of this network in vocal production and sound analysis in passive listening settings. The present proposal is thought as an elongation of the aforementioned grant. We propose two work-packages (W1 and W2) aimed to continue studying neural activity in the bat frontal-AC circuit. In W1, we will assess acoustic periodicity coding and stimulus specific adaptation in frontal and AC areas of awake bats. Such “network” approach for studying sound coding in the bat brain is unprecedented. In W2, neural activity will be studied during echolocation production induced by placing bats on a swinging pendulum. Studying the neural correlates of vocal production in bats swung on a pendulum will allow us to assess the neural underpinnings of vocalization in acoustically controlled cocktail-party-like scenarios created in the lab. The experiments proposed will produce original data which will advance knowledge on basic mechanisms of bat echolocation, but also on general principles of cortical interactions for auditory coding and vocalization behavior in mammals.