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Paraouty N, Yao JD, Varnet L, Chou CN, Chung S, Sanes DH. Sensory cortex plasticity supports auditory social learning. Nat Commun 2023; 14:5828. [PMID: 37730696 PMCID: PMC10511464 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-41641-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Social learning (SL) through experience with conspecifics can facilitate the acquisition of many behaviors. Thus, when Mongolian gerbils are exposed to a demonstrator performing an auditory discrimination task, their subsequent task acquisition is facilitated, even in the absence of visual cues. Here, we show that transient inactivation of auditory cortex (AC) during exposure caused a significant delay in task acquisition during the subsequent practice phase, suggesting that AC activity is necessary for SL. Moreover, social exposure induced an improvement in AC neuron sensitivity to auditory task cues. The magnitude of neural change during exposure correlated with task acquisition during practice. In contrast, exposure to only auditory task cues led to poorer neurometric and behavioral outcomes. Finally, social information during exposure was encoded in the AC of observer animals. Together, our results suggest that auditory SL is supported by AC neuron plasticity occurring during social exposure and prior to behavioral performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nihaad Paraouty
- Center for Neural Science New York University, New York, NY, 10003, USA.
| | - Justin D Yao
- Department of Otolaryngology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, USA
| | - Léo Varnet
- Laboratoire des Systèmes Perceptifs, UMR 8248, Ecole Normale Supérieure, PSL University, Paris, 75005, France
| | - Chi-Ning Chou
- Center for Computational Neuroscience, Flatiron Institute, Simons Foundation, New York, NY, USA
- School of Engineering & Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
| | - SueYeon Chung
- Center for Neural Science New York University, New York, NY, 10003, USA
- Center for Computational Neuroscience, Flatiron Institute, Simons Foundation, New York, NY, USA
| | - Dan H Sanes
- Center for Neural Science New York University, New York, NY, 10003, USA
- Department of Psychology, New York University, New York, NY, 10003, USA
- Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY, 10003, USA
- Neuroscience Institute, NYU Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, 10003, USA
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Yu K, Wood WE, Johnston LG, Theunissen FE. Lesions to Caudomedial Nidopallium Impair Individual Vocal Recognition in the Zebra Finch. J Neurosci 2023; 43:2579-2596. [PMID: 36859308 PMCID: PMC10082456 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0643-22.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Revised: 02/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Many social animals can recognize other individuals by their vocalizations. This requires a memory system capable of mapping incoming acoustic signals to one of many known individuals. Using the zebra finch, a social songbird that uses songs and distance calls to communicate individual identity (Elie and Theunissen, 2018), we tested the role of two cortical-like brain regions in a vocal recognition task. We found that the rostral region of the Cadomedial Nidopallium (NCM), a secondary auditory region of the avian pallium, was necessary for maintaining auditory memories for conspecific vocalizations in both male and female birds, whereas HVC (used as a proper name), a premotor areas that gates auditory input into the vocal motor and song learning pathways in male birds (Roberts and Mooney, 2013), was not. Both NCM and HVC have previously been implicated for processing the tutor song in the context of song learning (Sakata and Yazaki-Sugiyama, 2020). Our results suggest that NCM might not only store songs as templates for future vocal imitation but also songs and calls for perceptual discrimination of vocalizers in both male and female birds. NCM could therefore operate as a site for auditory memories for vocalizations used in various facets of communication. We also observed that new auditory memories could be acquired without intact HVC or NCM but that for these new memories NCM lesions caused deficits in either memory capacity or auditory discrimination. These results suggest that the high-capacity memory functions of the avian pallial auditory system depend on NCM.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Many aspects of vocal communication require the formation of auditory memories. Voice recognition, for example, requires a memory for vocalizers to identify acoustical features. In both birds and primates, the locus and neural correlates of these high-level memories remain poorly described. Previous work suggests that this memory formation is mediated by high-level sensory areas, not traditional memory areas such as the hippocampus. Using lesion experiments, we show that one secondary auditory brain region in songbirds that had previously been implicated in storing song memories for vocal imitation is also implicated in storing vocal memories for individual recognition. The role of the neural circuits in this region in interpreting the meaning of communication calls should be investigated in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Yu
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley California 94720
| | - William E Wood
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley California 94720
| | - Leah G Johnston
- Herbert Wertheim School of Optometry and Vision Science, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley California 94720
| | - Frederic E Theunissen
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley California 94720
- Departments of Psychology
- Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley California 94720
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Neural circuit for social authentication in song learning. Nat Commun 2022; 13:4442. [PMID: 35973980 PMCID: PMC9381780 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-32207-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2021] [Accepted: 07/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Social interactions are essential when learning to communicate. In human speech and bird song, infants must acquire accurate vocalization patterns and learn to associate them with live tutors and not mimetic sources. However, the neural mechanism of social reality during vocal learning remains unknown. Here, we characterize a neural circuit for social authentication in support of accurate song learning in the zebra finch. We recorded neural activity in the attention/arousal state control center, the locus coeruleus (LC), of juvenile birds during song learning from a live adult tutor. LC activity increased with real, not artificial, social information during learning that enhanced the precision and robustness of the learned song. During live social song learning, LC activity regulated long-term song-selective neural responsiveness in an auditory memory region, the caudomedial nidopallium (NCM). In accord, optogenetic inhibition of LC presynaptic signaling in the NCM reduced NCM neuronal responsiveness to live tutor singing and impaired song learning. These results demonstrate that the LC-NCM neural circuit integrates sensory evidence of real social interactions, distinct from song acoustic features, to authenticate song learning. The findings suggest a general mechanism for validating social information in brain development. Human and bird infants acquire vocal patterns from live, not mimetic, tutors. Here, the authors identified the neuronal circuits to authenticate social information in zebra finch song learning, suggesting a brain developmental mechanism via social interactions.
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Fujii TG, Coulter A, Lawley KS, Prather JF, Okanoya K. Song Preference in Female and Juvenile Songbirds: Proximate and Ultimate Questions. Front Physiol 2022; 13:876205. [PMID: 35492616 PMCID: PMC9047784 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2022.876205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Birdsong has long been a subject of extensive research in the fields of ethology as well as neuroscience. Neural and behavioral mechanisms underlying song acquisition and production in male songbirds are particularly well studied, mainly because birdsong shares some important features with human speech such as critical dependence on vocal learning. However, birdsong, like human speech, primarily functions as communication signals. The mechanisms of song perception and recognition should also be investigated to attain a deeper understanding of the nature of complex vocal signals. Although relatively less attention has been paid to song receivers compared to signalers, recent studies on female songbirds have begun to reveal the neural basis of song preference. Moreover, there are other studies of song preference in juvenile birds which suggest possible functions of preference in social context including the sensory phase of song learning. Understanding the behavioral and neural mechanisms underlying the formation, maintenance, expression, and alteration of such song preference in birds will potentially give insight into the mechanisms of speech communication in humans. To pursue this line of research, however, it is necessary to understand current methodological challenges in defining and measuring song preference. In addition, consideration of ultimate questions can also be important for laboratory researchers in designing experiments and interpreting results. Here we summarize the current understanding of song preference in female and juvenile songbirds in the context of Tinbergen's four questions, incorporating results ranging from ethological field research to the latest neuroscience findings. We also discuss problems and remaining questions in this field and suggest some possible solutions and future directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomoko G. Fujii
- Department of Life Sciences, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Austin Coulter
- Department of Zoology and Physiology, Program in Neuroscience, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, United States
| | - Koedi S. Lawley
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
| | - Jonathan F. Prather
- Department of Zoology and Physiology, Program in Neuroscience, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, United States
| | - Kazuo Okanoya
- Department of Life Sciences, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
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Paraouty N, Rizzuto CR, Sanes DH. Dopaminergic signaling supports auditory social learning. Sci Rep 2021; 11:13117. [PMID: 34162951 PMCID: PMC8222360 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-92524-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2020] [Accepted: 06/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Explicit rewards are commonly used to reinforce a behavior, a form of learning that engages the dopaminergic neuromodulatory system. In contrast, skill acquisition can display dramatic improvements from a social learning experience, even though the observer receives no explicit reward. Here, we test whether a dopaminergic signal contributes to social learning in naïve gerbils that are exposed to, and learn from, a skilled demonstrator performing an auditory discrimination task. Following five exposure sessions, naïve observer gerbils were allowed to practice the auditory task and their performance was assessed across days. We first tested the effect of an explicit food reward in the observer's compartment that was yoked to the demonstrator's performance during exposure sessions. Naïve observer gerbils with the yoked reward learned the discrimination task significantly faster, as compared to unrewarded observers. The effect of this explicit reward was abolished by administration of a D1/D5 dopamine receptor antagonist during the exposure sessions. Similarly, the D1/D5 antagonist reduced the rate of learning in unrewarded observers. To test whether a dopaminergic signal was sufficient to enhance social learning, we administered a D1/D5 receptor agonist during the exposure sessions in which no reward was present and found that the rate of learning occurred significantly faster. Finally, a quantitative analysis of vocalizations during the exposure sessions suggests one behavioral strategy that contributes to social learning. Together, these results are consistent with a dopamine-dependent reward signal during social learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nihaad Paraouty
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, 4 Washington Place, New York, NY, 10003, USA.
| | - Catherine R Rizzuto
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, 4 Washington Place, New York, NY, 10003, USA
| | - Dan H Sanes
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, 4 Washington Place, New York, NY, 10003, USA.,Department of Psychology, New York University, New York, NY, 10003, USA.,Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY, 10003, USA.,Neuroscience Institute, NYU Langone Medical Center, New York University, New York, NY, 10003, USA
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Hauber ME, Louder MI, Griffith SC. Neurogenomic insights into the behavioral and vocal development of the zebra finch. eLife 2021; 10:61849. [PMID: 34106827 PMCID: PMC8238503 DOI: 10.7554/elife.61849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2020] [Accepted: 06/08/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata) is a socially monogamous and colonial opportunistic breeder with pronounced sexual differences in singing and plumage coloration. Its natural history has led to it becoming a model species for research into sex differences in vocal communication, as well as behavioral, neural and genomic studies of imitative auditory learning. As scientists tap into the genetic and behavioral diversity of both wild and captive lineages, the zebra finch will continue to inform research into culture, learning, and social bonding, as well as adaptability to a changing climate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark E Hauber
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior, School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana-Champaign, United States
| | - Matthew Im Louder
- International Research Center for Neurointelligence, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.,Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, United States
| | - Simon C Griffith
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
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Spool JA, Macedo-Lima M, Scarpa G, Morohashi Y, Yazaki-Sugiyama Y, Remage-Healey L. Genetically identified neurons in avian auditory pallium mirror core principles of their mammalian counterparts. Curr Biol 2021; 31:2831-2843.e6. [PMID: 33989528 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.04.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2020] [Revised: 02/12/2021] [Accepted: 04/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
In vertebrates, advanced cognitive abilities are typically associated with the telencephalic pallium. In mammals, the pallium is a layered mixture of excitatory and inhibitory neuronal populations with distinct molecular, physiological, and network phenotypes. This cortical architecture is proposed to support efficient, high-level information processing. Comparative perspectives across vertebrates provide a lens to understand the common features of pallium that are important for advanced cognition. Studies in songbirds have established strikingly parallel features of neuronal types between mammalian and avian pallium. However, lack of genetic access to defined pallial cell types in non-mammalian vertebrates has hindered progress in resolving connections between molecular and physiological phenotypes. A definitive mapping of the physiology of pallial cells onto their molecular identities in birds is critical for understanding how synaptic and computational properties depend on underlying molecular phenotypes. Using viral tools to target excitatory versus inhibitory neurons in the zebra finch auditory association pallium (calmodulin-dependent kinase alpha [CaMKIIα] and glutamate decarboxylase 1 [GAD1] promoters, respectively), we systematically tested predictions derived from mammalian pallium. We identified two genetically distinct neuronal populations that exhibit profound physiological and computational similarities with mammalian excitatory and inhibitory pallial cells, definitively aligning putative cell types in avian caudal nidopallium with these molecular identities. Specifically, genetically identified CaMKIIα and GAD1 cell types in avian auditory association pallium exhibit distinct intrinsic physiological parameters, distinct auditory coding principles, and inhibitory-dependent pallial synchrony, gamma oscillations, and local suppression. The retention, or convergence, of these molecular and physiological features in both birds and mammals clarifies the characteristics of pallial circuits for advanced cognitive abilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy A Spool
- Neuroscience and Behavior, Center for Neuroendocrine Studies, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - Matheus Macedo-Lima
- Neuroscience and Behavior, Center for Neuroendocrine Studies, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA; CAPES Foundation, Ministry of Education of Brazil, Brasília 70040-020, Brazil
| | - Garrett Scarpa
- Neuroscience and Behavior, Center for Neuroendocrine Studies, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - Yuichi Morohashi
- Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) Graduate University, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Yoko Yazaki-Sugiyama
- Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) Graduate University, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Luke Remage-Healey
- Neuroscience and Behavior, Center for Neuroendocrine Studies, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA.
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Social learning exploits the available auditory or visual cues. Sci Rep 2020; 10:14117. [PMID: 32839492 PMCID: PMC7445250 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-71005-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2020] [Accepted: 08/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability to acquire a behavior can be facilitated by exposure to a conspecific demonstrator. Such social learning occurs under a range of conditions in nature. Here, we tested the idea that social learning can benefit from any available sensory cue, thereby permitting learning under different natural conditions. The ability of naïve gerbils to learn a sound discrimination task following 5 days of exposure adjacent to a demonstrator gerbil was tested in the presence or absence of visual cues. Naïve gerbils acquired the task significantly faster in either condition, as compared to controls. We also found that exposure to a demonstrator was more potent in facilitating learning, as compared to exposure to the sounds used to perform the discrimination task. Therefore, social learning was found to be flexible and equally efficient in the auditory or visual domains.
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Moorman S, Ter Haar SM. Editorial. Behav Processes 2019; 163:1-4. [DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2019.05.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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