Convergence in Vocal Premotor Coding

描述（由申请人提供）：目前尚不清楚是否存在学习运动行为的最佳编码策略。声音学习是一种优秀的行为，在其中可以检查这个问题，因为所有的声音学习物种共享类似的约束。这项研究将询问鹦鹉是否以类似于先前在鸣禽中描述的声音编码策略的方式对声音表示进行编码。鸟鸣是由两个前运动前脑核团之间的稀疏到详细的时间代码编码的。这个应用程序问，如果这种编码策略获得在一个类似的前运动电路在鹦鹉前脑。我们将研究这个问题，在生产过程中学习发声的澳大利亚鹦鹉，虎皮鹦鹉使用单细胞慢性录音。这些研究将使我们能够准确地评估运动输出和运动前神经活动之间的关系。如果类似的编码策略在鸣禽和鹦鹉中不明显，这表明即使在鸟类中，习得发声的前运动表征也没有受到高度限制。或者，如果编码策略被保留，它将刺激进一步调查其他声乐学习物种，以建立一个比较数据集，为未来的分支分析编码策略学习发声更普遍。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): It is not known if optimal coding strategies exist for learned motor behavior. Vocal learning is an excellent behavior in which this issue can be examined because all vocal learning species share similar constraints. This research will ask if parrots encode vocal representations in a manner similar to the vocal coding strategy previously described in songbirds. Birdsong is coded by a sparse-to-detailed temporal code between two premotor forebrain nuclei. This application asks if this coding strategy obtains in an analogous premotor circuit in the parrot forebrain. We will examine this issue using single cell chronic recordings during the production of learned vocalizations in an Australian parrot, the budgerigar. These studies will allow us to accurately assess the relation between motor output and premotor neural activity. If similar coding strategies are not evident among songbirds and parrots, it suggests that premotor representations for learned vocalizations are not highly constrained even among birds. Alternatively, if coding strategies are retained it will spur further investigation into other vocal learning species in order to establish a comparative data set for future cladistic analysis for coding strategies for learned vocalizations more generally.