Motor Correlates of Song Plasticity in Adult Songbirds

描述（由申请人提供）：Birdsong是用于探索感觉运动整合、学习和记忆以及行为的社会调节中的问题的动物模型系统。该提案旨在了解声音产生的呼吸和舌肌运动机制如何改变以响应改变的声反馈。我们发明了一种降低鸟类发声能力的技术。该技术可以维持很长一段时间，并且是可逆的。我们建议使用这种技术来改变声反馈，并研究如何电机机制的声音生产的变化，在这种操作。提出了三个实验。第一个将比较歌曲的变化，在各种物种的部分静音程序。第二个实验将描述部分静音程序后呼吸和舌肌运动补偿的特征，最后一个实验将比较耳聋和声带运动神经损伤后呼吸和舌肌运动的变化。这一结果将有助于我们进一步了解声乐的可塑性是如何体现在运动相关的歌曲。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Birdsong is an animal model system for exploring issues in sensorimotor integration, learning and memory, and social modulation of behavior. The proposal seeks to develop an understanding of how respiratory and syringeal motor mechanisms of sound production are changed in response to altered acoustic feedback. We have developed a technique for reducing a bird's ability to vocalize. The technique can be maintained for long periods of time and is reversible. We propose to use this technique to alter acoustic feedback, and to examine how motor mechanisms of sound production change in response to this manipulation. Three experiments are proposed. The first will compare song changes in a variety of species following the partial muting procedure. The second experiment will characterize respiratory and syringeal motor compensation following the partial muting procedure, and the last experiment will compare respiratory and syringeal motor changes after deafening and damage to the vocal motor nerve. The results will be further our understanding of how vocal plasticity is manifested in motor correlates of song.