Neural Circuits Underlying Auditory Processing and Perception of Vocal Sounds

听觉处理和声音感知的神经回路

基本信息

批准号：
8545151
负责人：
Sarah W Bottjer
金额：
$ 19.53万
依托单位：
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
依托单位国家：
美国
项目类别：
财政年份：
2012
资助国家：
美国
起止时间：
2012-09-13 至 2015-08-31
项目状态：
已结题

来源：
https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/8545151
关键词：
Acoustics Adolescent Adult Animal Model Auditory Auditory Perceptual Disorders Auditory area Autistic Disorder Behavioral Biological Assay Birds Brain Child Cognitive Communication Communication impairment Complex Data Development Developmental reading disorder Environment Future Gilles de la Tourette syndrome Hearing Hearing problem Human Individual Infant Knowledge Language Learning Life Measures Memory Modeling Molecular Motor Neurons Pattern Perception Perceptual learning Phase Population Process Production Research Seminal Sensory Signal Pathway Songbirds Staging Testing Translations Work auditory feedback base developmental disease experience improved motor learning neural circuit novel novel strategies object recognition prevent relating to nervous system research study response skills sound therapy development vocal learning vocalization

项目摘要

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Songbirds, like humans, learn specific sounds used for vocal communication during a sensitive period of development. The first stage in all models of vocal learning for both songbirds and humans is the formation of a template memory based on auditory experience with sounds heard from vocal "tutors". Once a neural representation of tutor song is formed this memory guides sensorimotor integration as the bird learns to imitate the song by vocalizing and using auditory feedback to compare its incipient vocalizations to that tutor memory. The existence of a stable memory of tutor vocal sounds in songbirds was first demonstrated behaviorally by seminal work in the 1950's, but identification of the neural loci encoding representations of this memory has been elusive. We will test the hypothesis that the auditory template memory of vocal sounds is localized to NCM, a region of higher-level auditory cortex, by recording the activity of individual NCM neurons and examining whether they develop selective responsivity to learned tutor sounds. We will then investigate whether experience-dependent changes in neural responsivity also guide improvements in the ability to perceptually distinguish learned vocal sounds. The aims of this project investigate fundamental mechanisms of forming an auditory template for vocal learning: (Aim 1) Do NCM neurons develop selective tuning to tutor sounds based on specific auditory experience during the sensitive period for vocal learning and thereby acquire a representation of tutor song? If so, then neural activity in a population of NCM neurons should develop a strong and selective response only to learned tutor sounds. Furthermore, the strength of selective responsivity in NCM neurons should predict the subsequent ability to imitate the tutor song, and blockade of cellular signaling pathways that prohibit imitative learning should also disrupt the development of selective neural tuning. (Aim 2) How does the acquisition of selective neural tuning to vocal sounds in NCM neurons relate to perception? We will test the hypothesis that the emergence of selective neural tuning in NCM neurons underlies not only the acquisition of a template memory of tutor sounds, but also the ability to perceptually distinguish learned vocal sounds. In summary, this research will reveal how the brain encodes and remembers auditory-vocal sounds and how such processes contribute to developmental improvements in the ability to perceive learned vocal sounds. Songbirds provide an essential model for experimentally testing cellular and circuit mechanisms of vocal learning that are relevant to hearing and communication disorders in humans. The results of these experiments will advance our understanding of sound object recognition and categorical perception relevant to auditory-vocal communication, and enable the development of treatments for a variety of hearing and communication disorders.

描述（由申请人提供）：鸣禽像人类一样，在发育的敏感时期学习用于声音交流的特定声音。鸣禽和人类的所有声乐学习模型的第一阶段是基于从声乐“导师”听到的声音的听觉经验形成模板记忆。一旦形成导师歌曲的神经表征，这种记忆就会引导感觉运动整合，因为鸟儿学会通过发声来模仿歌曲，并使用听觉反馈将其初始发声与导师记忆进行比较。 20世纪50年代的开创性工作首次在行为上证明了鸣禽对导师声音的稳定记忆的存在，但编码这种记忆的神经位点的识别一直难以捉摸。我们将通过记录单个 NCM 神经元的活动并检查它们是否对学习的导师声音产生选择性响应，来测试声音的听觉模板记忆定位于 NCM（高级听觉皮层区域）的假设。然后，我们将研究依赖于经验的神经反应性变化是否也能提高感知区分所学声音的能力。本项目的目的是研究形成声乐学习听觉模板的基本机制：（目标1）NCM神经元是否会在声乐学习敏感期根据特定的听觉体验对辅导声音进行选择性调谐，从而获得辅导歌曲的表征？如果是这样，那么神经活动 NCM 神经元群应该只对习得的导师声音产生强烈的选择性反应。此外，NCM 神经元选择性反应的强度应该可以预测随后模仿导师歌曲的能力，而阻碍模仿学习的细胞信号通路的阻断也应该会破坏选择性神经调节的发展。（目标2） NCM 神经元对声音的选择性神经调谐的获得与感知有何关系？我们将检验这样的假设：NCM 神经元中选择性神经调谐的出现不仅是获得导师声音模板记忆的基础，也是感知区分所学声音的能力的基础。总之，这项研究将揭示大脑如何编码和记忆听觉声音，以及这些过程如何有助于提高感知习得声音的能力。鸣禽为实验测试与人类听力和沟通障碍相关的声音学习的细胞和电路机制提供了一个重要的模型。这些实验的结果将增进我们对与听觉-声音交流相关的声音对象识别和分类感知的理解，并促进开发针对各种听力和交流障碍的治疗方法。