Mechanisms underlying social influences on learning

动物的许多行为技能不是天生的，而是通过试错和观察学习来学习的。 这些学习过程不是静态的，而是由社会互动和线索动态调节的。 我将使用鸣鸟（例如，孟加拉雀，鸣禽）来研究社会互动和线索如何调节声音交流信号的学习。 鸣禽学习它们的声音通信信号（即，歌曲）在发展过程中通过听和记忆成人的例子，并在社会交往中使用这些信号。 此外，许多研究表明，歌曲的习得受到社会互动和社会强化信号的影响。 尽管社会影响对歌曲学习的普遍性和重要性，但对这种影响的神经机制知之甚少。 我的实验室将整合神经生理学，神经化学和分子技术来阐明大脑如何处理影响歌曲学习的社会线索。 鸣禽非常适合这种机械性的追求，因为歌曲的学习和产生是由离散的神经回路介导的，这些神经回路可以被监控和操纵。 我将首先开发强大的行为范式来调查社会对歌曲学习的影响。 此后，为了揭示社会影响的机制，我将分析立即早期基因的表达，神经活动和可塑性的分子标志物，在整个鸣禽大脑中对影响歌曲学习的社会线索的反应。 此外，我将使用神经生理学和神经化学技术来分析神经活动和神经化学如何受到社会线索和互动的影响，并将操纵特定大脑区域的大脑活动，以阐明它们对声乐学习的社会调节的贡献。 通过研究大脑如何处理和使用社会信息来指导歌曲学习，我的研究计划将提供关于自然和进化重要行为是如何学习的，以及社会互动和线索如何影响这些过程的一般见解。

Much of an animal's behavioural repertoire is not innate but is learned through trial-and-error and observational learning. These learning processes are not static but dynamically modulated by social interactions and cues. I will use songbirds (e.g., Bengalese finches, song sparrows) to investigate how social interactions and cues modulate the learning of vocal communication signals. Songbirds learn their vocal communication signals (i.e., song) during development by listening to and memorizing adult exemplars and use these signals during social interactions. Moreover, numerous studies have demonstrated that the acquisition of song is influenced by social interactions and social reinforcement signals. Despite the prevalence and importance of social influences on song learning, little is known about the neural mechanisms that underlie such influences. My lab will integrate neurophysiological, neurochemical, and molecular techniques to elucidate how the brain processes social cues that influence song learning. Songbirds are excellent for such mechanistic pursuits because the learning and production of song are mediated by discrete neural circuits that are accessible for monitoring and manipulation. I will first develop robust behavioural paradigms to investigate social influences on song learning. Thereafter, to reveal mechanisms of social influences, I will analyze the expression of immediate early genes, molecular markers of neural activity and plasticity, throughout the songbird brain in response to social cues that influence song learning. Furthermore, I will use neurophysiological and neurochemical techniques to analyze how neural activity and neurochemistry are affected by social cues and interactions, and will manipulate brain activity in specific brain areas to elucidate their contribution to the social modulation of vocal learning. By investigating how the brain processes and uses social information to guide song learning, my research program will provide general insight into how natural and evolutionarily important behaviours are learned as well as how social interactions and cues influence these processes.