VOCAL-LEARNING MODEL FOR NEURONAL BASIS OF COGNITION

这项赠款支持的工作将继续调查 鸟类鸣唱控制系统的解剖学和生理学。 具体目标是更好地理解，1）之间的关系 学习歌曲的产生和感知; 2）大脑不对称， 在对习得的歌曲的感知中可能出现的两性异形; 3)管理识别同种歌曲的规则， 雌性对某些个体的歌声的偏好 鸟类鸣唱的解剖生理调节 学习; 5）用于歌曲学习的途径之间的关系 以及控制其他生殖行为的途径。 信息 应该能揭示大脑的有趣原理 这些功能可以与学习有关。 私家侦探预计 这些见解将适用于其他系统，包括 人类的声音学习和大脑功能。 导出的信息 从这些不同的相关项目中也可以帮助理解 新发现成人神经元替代现象 鸟类大脑与歌曲学习回路的组织方式有关。 健康相关性：P.I.相信这种电路 鸟类似乎用它来学习--神经突的生长 和收缩，突触的形成和剔除，神经发生- - 一旦在分子水平上被理解， 可诱导和可控制的大脑自我修复。 此外，更好的 了解限制或鼓励学习的因素 可能对人类有很大的好处。 歌曲学习系统 鸟类是研究这些问题的好材料。

Work to be supported by this grant will continue to investigate the anatomy and physiology of the song control system of birds. Specific aims are to better understand, 1) the relation between production and perception of learned song; 2) brain asymmetries and sexual dimorphism that may occur in the perception of learned song; 3) the rules that govern the recognition of conspecific song and the preference that females show for the song of some individual birds; 4) the anatomical and physiological regulation of song learning; 5) the relation between pathways used for song learning and pathways governing other reproductive behaviors. Information on these matters should uncover interesting principles of brain function that can then be related to learning. The P.I. expects that these insights will be applicable to other systems, including vocal learning and brain function in humans. Information derived from these various related projects might also help understand how the newly discovered phenomenon of neuronal replacement in adult avian brain relates to how song learning circuits are organized. Health relatedness: The P.I. believes that the kinds of circuit plasticity that birds seem to use for learning -- neurite growth and retraction, formation and culling of synapses, neurogenesis - - will, once understood at the molecular level form the basis of inducible and controlled brain self-repair. In addition, a better understanding of the factors that restrict or encourage learning could be of great benefit to humans. The song learning system of birds is good material to study these matters.