1
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Elmaleh M, Yang Z, Ackert-Smith LA, Long MA. Uncoordinated sleep replay across hemispheres in the zebra finch. Curr Biol 2023; 33:4704-4712.e3. [PMID: 37757833 PMCID: PMC10842454 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.09.005] [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: 04/05/2023] [Revised: 06/28/2023] [Accepted: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023]
Abstract
Bilaterally organized brain regions are often simultaneously active in both humans1,2,3 and animal models,4,5,6,7,8,9 but the extent to which the temporal progression of internally generated dynamics is coordinated across hemispheres and how this coordination changes with brain state remain poorly understood. To address these issues, we investigated the zebra finch courtship song (duration: 0.5-1.0 s), a highly stereotyped complex behavior10,11 produced by a set of bilaterally organized nuclei.12,13,14 Unilateral lesions to these structures can eliminate or degrade singing,13,15,16,17 indicating that both hemispheres are required for song production.18 Additionally, previous work demonstrated broadly coherent and symmetric bilateral premotor signals during song.9 To precisely track the temporal evolution of activity in each hemisphere, we recorded bilaterally in the song production pathway. We targeted the robust nucleus of the arcopallium (RA) in the zebra finch, where population activity reflects the moment-to-moment progression of the courtship song during awake vocalizations19,20,21,22,23,24 and sleep, where song-related network dynamics reemerge in "replay" events.24,25 We found that activity in the left and right RA is synchronized within a fraction of a millisecond throughout song. In stark contrast, the two hemispheres displayed largely independent replay activity during sleep, despite shared interhemispheric arousal levels. These findings demonstrate that the degree of bilateral coordination in the zebra finch song system is dynamically modulated by behavioral state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margot Elmaleh
- NYU Neuroscience Institute and Department of Otolaryngology, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY 10016, USA; Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - Zetian Yang
- NYU Neuroscience Institute and Department of Otolaryngology, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY 10016, USA; Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - Lyn A Ackert-Smith
- NYU Neuroscience Institute and Department of Otolaryngology, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY 10016, USA; Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - Michael A Long
- NYU Neuroscience Institute and Department of Otolaryngology, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY 10016, USA; Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA.
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2
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Liu WC, Landstrom M, Cealie M, MacKillop I. A juvenile locomotor program promotes vocal learning in zebra finches. Commun Biol 2022; 5:573. [PMID: 35689094 PMCID: PMC9187677 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03533-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2021] [Accepted: 05/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The evolution and development of complex, learned motor skills are thought to be closely associated with other locomotor movement and cognitive functions. However, it remains largely unknown how different neuromuscular programs may interconnect during the protracted developmental process. Here we use a songbird to examine the behavioral and neural substrates between the development of locomotor movement and vocal-motor learning. Juvenile songbirds escalate their locomotor activity during the sensitive period for vocal learning, followed by a surge of vocal practice. Individual variability of locomotor production is positively correlated with precision of tutor imitation and duration of multi-syllable sequences. Manipulation of juvenile locomotion significantly impacts the precision of vocal imitation and neural plasticity. The locomotor program developed during the sensitive period of vocal learning may enrich the neural substrates that promote the subsequent development of vocal learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wan-Chun Liu
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Colgate University, Hamilton, NY, USA.
| | - Michelle Landstrom
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Colgate University, Hamilton, NY, USA
| | - MaKenna Cealie
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Colgate University, Hamilton, NY, USA
| | - Iona MacKillop
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Colgate University, Hamilton, NY, USA
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3
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Moorman S, Ahn JR, Kao MH. Plasticity of stereotyped birdsong driven by chronic manipulation of cortical-basal ganglia activity. Curr Biol 2021; 31:2619-2632.e4. [PMID: 33974850 PMCID: PMC8222193 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.04.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2020] [Revised: 03/05/2021] [Accepted: 04/13/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Cortical-basal ganglia (CBG) circuits are critical for motor learning and performance, and are a major site of pathology. In songbirds, a CBG circuit regulates moment-by-moment variability in song and also enables song plasticity. Studies have shown that variable burst firing in LMAN, the output nucleus of this CBG circuit, actively drives acute song variability, but whether and how LMAN drives long-lasting changes in song remains unclear. Here, we ask whether chronic pharmacological augmentation of LMAN bursting is sufficient to drive plasticity in birds singing stereotyped songs. We show that altered LMAN activity drives cumulative changes in acoustic structure, timing, and sequencing over multiple days, and induces repetitions and silent pauses reminiscent of human stuttering. Changes persisted when LMAN was subsequently inactivated, indicating plasticity in song motor regions. Following cessation of pharmacological treatment, acoustic features and song sequence gradually recovered to their baseline values over a period of days to weeks. Together, our findings show that augmented bursting in CBG circuitry drives plasticity in well-learned motor skills, and may inform treatments for basal ganglia movement disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanne Moorman
- Psychology Department, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 2, 3584 CM Utrecht, the Netherlands; Biology Department, Tufts University, 200 Boston Avenue, Medford, MA 02155, USA.
| | - Jae-Rong Ahn
- Biology Department, Tufts University, 200 Boston Avenue, Medford, MA 02155, USA
| | - Mimi H Kao
- Biology Department, Tufts University, 200 Boston Avenue, Medford, MA 02155, USA; Neuroscience Graduate Program, Tufts University, Boston, MA 02111, USA.
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4
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An avian cortical circuit for chunking tutor song syllables into simple vocal-motor units. Nat Commun 2020; 11:5029. [PMID: 33024101 PMCID: PMC7538968 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-18732-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: 08/21/2019] [Accepted: 08/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
How are brain circuits constructed to achieve complex goals? The brains of young songbirds develop motor circuits that achieve the goal of imitating a specific tutor song to which they are exposed. Here, we set out to examine how song-generating circuits may be influenced early in song learning by a cortical region (NIf) at the interface between auditory and motor systems. Single-unit recordings reveal that, during juvenile babbling, NIf neurons burst at syllable onsets, with some neurons exhibiting selectivity for particular emerging syllable types. When juvenile birds listen to their tutor, NIf neurons are also activated at tutor syllable onsets, and are often selective for particular syllable types. We examine a simple computational model in which tutor exposure imprints the correct number of syllable patterns as ensembles in an interconnected NIf network. These ensembles are then reactivated during singing to train a set of syllable sequences in the motor network. Young songbirds learn to imitate their parents’ songs. Here, the authors find that, in baby birds, neurons in a brain region at the interface of auditory and motor circuits signal the onsets of song syllables during both tutoring and babbling, suggesting a specific neural mechanism for vocal imitation.
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5
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Zhang YS, Ghazanfar AA. A Hierarchy of Autonomous Systems for Vocal Production. Trends Neurosci 2020; 43:115-126. [PMID: 31955902 PMCID: PMC7213988 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2019.12.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2019] [Revised: 12/01/2019] [Accepted: 12/12/2019] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Vocal production is hierarchical in the time domain. These hierarchies build upon biomechanical and neural dynamics across various timescales. We review studies in marmoset monkeys, songbirds, and other vertebrates. To organize these data in an accessible and across-species framework, we interpret the different timescales of vocal production as belonging to different levels of an autonomous systems hierarchy. The first level accounts for vocal acoustics produced on short timescales; subsequent levels account for longer timescales of vocal output. The hierarchy of autonomous systems that we put forth accounts for vocal patterning, sequence generation, dyadic interactions, and context dependence by sequentially incorporating central pattern generators, intrinsic drives, and sensory signals from the environment. We then show the framework's utility by providing an integrative explanation of infant vocal production learning in which social feedback modulates infant vocal acoustics through the tuning of a drive signal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yisi S Zhang
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA.
| | - Asif A Ghazanfar
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA; Department of Psychology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA; Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA.
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6
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Love J, Hoepfner A, Goller F. Song Feature Specific Analysis of Isolate Song Reveals Interspecific Variation in Learned Components. Dev Neurobiol 2019; 79:350-369. [PMID: 31002477 DOI: 10.1002/dneu.22682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2018] [Revised: 04/14/2019] [Accepted: 04/15/2019] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Studies of avian vocal development without exposure to conspecific song have been conducted in many passerine species, and the resultant isolate song is often interpreted to represent an expression of the genetic code for conspecific song. There is wide recognition that vocal learning exists in oscine songbirds, but vocal learning has only been thoroughly investigated in a few model species, resulting in a narrow view of birdsong learning. By extracting acoustic signals from published spectrograms, we have reexamined the findings of isolate studies with a universally applicable semi-automated quantitative analysis regimen. When song features were analyzed in light of three different production aspects (respiratory, syringeal, and central programming of sequence), all three show marked interspecific variability in how close isolate song features are to normal. This implies that song learning mechanisms are more variable than is commonly recognized. Our results suggest that the interspecific variation shows no readily observable pattern reflecting phylogeny, which has implications for understanding the mechanisms behind the evolution of avian vocal communication. We emphasize that song learning in passerines provides an excellent opportunity to investigate the evolution of a complex, plastic trait from a phylogenetic perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jay Love
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, 257 South 1400 East, Salt Lake City, Utah, 84112
| | - Amanda Hoepfner
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, 257 South 1400 East, Salt Lake City, Utah, 84112
| | - Franz Goller
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, 257 South 1400 East, Salt Lake City, Utah, 84112.,Institute for Zoophysiology, University of Muenster, Muenster, Germany
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7
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Lipkind D, Geambasu A, Levelt CC. The Development of Structured Vocalizations in Songbirds and Humans: A Comparative Analysis. Top Cogn Sci 2019; 12:894-909. [PMID: 30761767 DOI: 10.1111/tops.12414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2018] [Revised: 12/27/2018] [Accepted: 01/03/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Humans and songbirds face a common challenge: acquiring the complex vocal repertoire of their social group. Although humans are thought to be unique in their ability to convey symbolic meaning through speech, speech and birdsong are comparable in their acoustic complexity and the mastery with which the vocalizations of adults are acquired by young individuals. In this review, we focus on recent advances in the study of vocal development in humans and songbirds that shed new light on the emergence of distinct structural levels of vocal behavior and point to new possible parallels between both groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dina Lipkind
- Department of Psychology, Hunter College, The City University of New York.,Department of Biology, York College, The City University of New York
| | - Andreea Geambasu
- Centre for Linguistics, Leiden University.,Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University
| | - Clara C Levelt
- Centre for Linguistics, Leiden University.,Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University
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8
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The Role of Sleep in Song Learning Processes in Songbird. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-813743-7.00026-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/07/2023]
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9
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Marmoset Monkey Vocal Communication: Common Developmental Trajectories With Humans and Possible Mechanisms. MINNESOTA SYMPOSIA ON CHILD PSYCHOLOGY 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/9781119461746.ch3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
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10
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11
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Mackevicius EL, Fee MS. Building a state space for song learning. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2017; 49:59-68. [PMID: 29268193 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2017.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2017] [Revised: 11/05/2017] [Accepted: 12/02/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The songbird system has shed light on how the brain produces precisely timed behavioral sequences, and how the brain implements reinforcement learning (RL). RL is a powerful strategy for learning what action to produce in each state, but requires a unique representation of the states involved in the task. Songbird RL circuitry is thought to operate using a representation of each moment within song syllables, consistent with the sparse sequential bursting of neurons in premotor cortical nucleus HVC. However, such sparse sequences are not present in very young birds, which sing highly variable syllables of random lengths. Here, we review and expand upon a model for how the songbird brain could construct latent sequences to support RL, in light of new data elucidating connections between HVC and auditory cortical areas. We hypothesize that learning occurs via four distinct plasticity processes: 1) formation of 'tutor memory' sequences in auditory areas; 2) formation of appropriately-timed latent HVC sequences, seeded by inputs from auditory areas spontaneously replaying the tutor song; 3) strengthening, during spontaneous replay, of connections from HVC to auditory neurons of corresponding timing in the 'tutor memory' sequence, aligning auditory and motor representations for subsequent song evaluation; and 4) strengthening of connections from premotor neurons to motor output neurons that produce the desired sounds, via well-described song RL circuitry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily Lambert Mackevicius
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 46-5133 Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Michale Sean Fee
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 46-5133 Cambridge, MA, USA.
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12
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Schmidt MF, Goller F. Breathtaking Songs: Coordinating the Neural Circuits for Breathing and Singing. Physiology (Bethesda) 2017; 31:442-451. [PMID: 27708050 DOI: 10.1152/physiol.00004.2016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The vocal behavior of birds is remarkable for its diversity, and songs can feature elaborate characteristics such as long duration, rapid temporal pattern, and broad frequency range. The respiratory system plays a central role in generating the complex song patterns that must be integrated with its life-sustaining functions. Here, we explore how precise coordination between the neural circuits for breathing and singing is fundamental to production of these remarkable behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc F Schmidt
- University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and
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13
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Danish HH, Aronov D, Fee MS. Rhythmic syllable-related activity in a songbird motor thalamic nucleus necessary for learned vocalizations. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0169568. [PMID: 28617829 PMCID: PMC5472270 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0169568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2016] [Accepted: 12/19/2016] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Birdsong is a complex behavior that exhibits hierarchical organization. While the representation of singing behavior and its hierarchical organization has been studied in some detail in avian cortical premotor circuits, our understanding of the role of the thalamus in adult birdsong is incomplete. Using a combination of behavioral and electrophysiological studies, we seek to expand on earlier work showing that the thalamic nucleus Uvaeformis (Uva) is necessary for the production of stereotyped, adult song in zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata). We confirm that complete bilateral lesions of Uva abolish singing in the ‘directed’ social context, but find that in the ‘undirected’ social context, such lesions result in highly variable vocalizations similar to early babbling song in juvenile birds. Recordings of neural activity in Uva reveal strong syllable-related modulation, maximally active prior to syllable onsets and minimally active prior to syllable offsets. Furthermore, both song and Uva activity exhibit a pronounced coherent modulation at 10Hz—a pattern observed in downstream premotor areas in adult and, even more prominently, in juvenile birds. These findings are broadly consistent with the idea that Uva is critical in the sequential activation of behavioral modules in HVC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Husain H. Danish
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States of America
| | - Dmitriy Aronov
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States of America
| | - Michale S. Fee
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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14
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Teşileanu T, Ölveczky B, Balasubramanian V. Rules and mechanisms for efficient two-stage learning in neural circuits. eLife 2017; 6. [PMID: 28374674 PMCID: PMC5380437 DOI: 10.7554/elife.20944] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2016] [Accepted: 03/04/2017] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Trial-and-error learning requires evaluating variable actions and reinforcing successful variants. In songbirds, vocal exploration is induced by LMAN, the output of a basal ganglia-related circuit that also contributes a corrective bias to the vocal output. This bias is gradually consolidated in RA, a motor cortex analogue downstream of LMAN. We develop a new model of such two-stage learning. Using stochastic gradient descent, we derive how the activity in 'tutor' circuits (e.g., LMAN) should match plasticity mechanisms in 'student' circuits (e.g., RA) to achieve efficient learning. We further describe a reinforcement learning framework through which the tutor can build its teaching signal. We show that mismatches between the tutor signal and the plasticity mechanism can impair learning. Applied to birdsong, our results predict the temporal structure of the corrective bias from LMAN given a plasticity rule in RA. Our framework can be applied predictively to other paired brain areas showing two-stage learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiberiu Teşileanu
- Initiative for the Theoretical Sciences, CUNY Graduate Center, New York, United States.,David Rittenhouse Laboratories, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, United States
| | - Bence Ölveczky
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, United States
| | - Vijay Balasubramanian
- Initiative for the Theoretical Sciences, CUNY Graduate Center, New York, United States.,David Rittenhouse Laboratories, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, United States.,Theoretische Natuurkunde, Vrije Universiteit Brussel & International Solvay Institutes, Brussels, Belgium
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15
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Giret N, Edeline JM, Del Negro C. Neural mechanisms of vocal imitation: The role of sleep replay in shaping mirror neurons. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2017; 77:58-73. [PMID: 28288397 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2017.01.051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2016] [Revised: 01/04/2017] [Accepted: 01/04/2017] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Learning by imitation involves not only perceiving another individual's action to copy it, but also the formation of a memory trace in order to gradually establish a correspondence between the sensory and motor codes, which represent this action through sensorimotor experience. Memory and sensorimotor processes are closely intertwined. Mirror neurons, which fire both when the same action is performed or perceived, have received considerable attention in the context of imitation. An influential view of memory processes considers that the consolidation of newly acquired information or skills involves an active offline reprocessing of memories during sleep within the neuronal networks that were initially used for encoding. Here, we review the recent advances in the field of mirror neurons and offline processes in the songbird. We further propose a theoretical framework that could establish the neurobiological foundations of sensorimotor learning by imitation. We propose that the reactivation of neuronal assemblies during offline periods contributes to the integration of sensory feedback information and the establishment of sensorimotor mirroring activity at the neuronal level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Giret
- Neuroscience Paris-Saclay Institute, CNRS, Université Paris Sud, Université Paris Saclay, Orsay, France.
| | - Jean-Marc Edeline
- Neuroscience Paris-Saclay Institute, CNRS, Université Paris Sud, Université Paris Saclay, Orsay, France.
| | - Catherine Del Negro
- Neuroscience Paris-Saclay Institute, CNRS, Université Paris Sud, Université Paris Saclay, Orsay, France.
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16
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Sasahara K, Tchernichovski O, Takahasi M, Suzuki K, Okanoya K. A rhythm landscape approach to the developmental dynamics of birdsong. J R Soc Interface 2016; 12:rsif.2015.0802. [PMID: 26538559 PMCID: PMC4685852 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2015.0802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Unlike simple biological rhythms, the rhythm of the oscine bird song is a learned time series of diverse sounds that change dynamically during vocal ontogeny. How to quantify rhythm development is one of the most important challenges in behavioural biology. Here, we propose a simple method, called ‘rhythm landscape’, to visualize and quantify how rhythm structure, which is measured as durational patterns of sounds and silences, emerges and changes over development. Applying this method to the development of Bengalese finch songs, we show that the rhythm structure begins with a broadband rhythm that develops into diverse rhythms largely through branching from precursors. Furthermore, an information-theoretic measure, the Jensen–Shannon divergence, was used to characterize the crystallization process of birdsong rhythm, which started with a high rate of rhythm change and progressed to a stage of slow refinement. This simple method provides a useful description of rhythm development, thereby helping to reveal key temporal constraints on complex biological rhythms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazutoshi Sasahara
- Department of Complex Systems Science, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan Laboratory for Biolinguistics, RIKEN Brain Science Institute, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako-shi, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Ofer Tchernichovski
- Department of Psychology, Hunter College, City University of New York, 695 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Miki Takahasi
- Laboratory for Biolinguistics, RIKEN Brain Science Institute, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako-shi, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Kenta Suzuki
- Laboratory for Biolinguistics, RIKEN Brain Science Institute, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako-shi, Saitama 351-0198, Japan Faculty of Health Sciences, Nihon Institute of Medical Science, 1276 Shimogawara, Moroyama-machi, Iruma-gun, Saitama 350-0435, Japan
| | - Kazuo Okanoya
- Laboratory for Biolinguistics, RIKEN Brain Science Institute, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako-shi, Saitama 351-0198, Japan Department of Life Sciences, University of Tokyo, 3-8-1 Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-8902, Japan
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17
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Ghazanfar AA, Zhang YS. The autonomic nervous system is the engine for vocal development through social feedback. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2016; 40:155-160. [PMID: 27525350 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2016.07.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2016] [Revised: 06/30/2016] [Accepted: 07/27/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
At least one non-human primate species-the marmoset monkey-exhibits developmental processes similar to human vocal development. These processes include babbling-like early vocal output and a role for social feedback in changing this output into mature-sounding vocalizations. Such parallel behaviors provide a window through which we can begin to understand the physiological mechanisms for how early vocalizations are produced and shaped by social feedback. The latest work shows that the acoustic structure of babbling in infant monkeys is driven by oscillations of the autonomic nervous system. It is hypothesized that this autonomic nervous system rhythm is perturbed through vocal interactions between infants and parents. These interactions gradually accelerate the transformation of immature vocalizations into mature forms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asif A Ghazanfar
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA; Department of Psychology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA.
| | - Yisi S Zhang
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA; Department of Psychology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
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18
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Perinatally Influenced Autonomic System Fluctuations Drive Infant Vocal Sequences. Curr Biol 2016; 26:1249-60. [PMID: 27068420 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2016.03.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2015] [Revised: 02/29/2016] [Accepted: 03/08/2016] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The variable vocal behavior of human infants is the scaffolding upon which speech and social interactions develop. It is important to know what factors drive this developmentally critical behavioral output. Using marmoset monkeys as a model system, we first addressed whether the initial conditions for vocal output and its sequential structure are perinatally influenced. Using dizygotic twins and Markov analyses of their vocal sequences, we found that in the first postnatal week, twins had more similar vocal sequences to each other than to their non-twin siblings. Moreover, both twins and their siblings had more vocal sequence similarity with each other than with non-sibling infants. Using electromyography, we then investigated the physiological basis of vocal sequence structure by measuring respiration and arousal levels (via changes in heart rate). We tested the hypothesis that early-life influences on vocal output are via fluctuations of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) mediated by vocal biomechanics. We found that arousal levels fluctuate at ∼0.1 Hz (the Mayer wave) and that this slow oscillation modulates the amplitude of the faster, ∼1.0 Hz respiratory rhythm. The systematic changes in respiratory amplitude result in the different vocalizations that comprise infant vocal sequences. Among twins, the temporal structure of arousal level changes was similar and therefore indicates why their vocal sequences were similar. Our study shows that vocal sequences are tightly linked to respiratory patterns that are modulated by ANS fluctuations and that the temporal structure of ANS fluctuations is perinatally influenced.
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19
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Growth and splitting of neural sequences in songbird vocal development. Nature 2015; 528:352-7. [PMID: 26618871 PMCID: PMC4957523 DOI: 10.1038/nature15741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2015] [Accepted: 09/22/2015] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Neural sequences are a fundamental feature of brain dynamics underlying diverse behaviors, but the mechanisms by which they develop during learning remain unknown. Songbirds learn vocalizations composed of syllables; in adult birds, each syllable is produced by a different sequence of action potential bursts in the premotor cortical area HVC. Here we carried out recordings of large populations of HVC neurons in singing juvenile birds throughout learning to examine the emergence of neural sequences. Early in vocal development, HVC neurons begin producing rhythmic bursts, temporally locked to a ‘prototype’ syllable. Different neurons are active at different latencies relative to syllable onset to form a continuous sequence. Through development, as new syllables emerge from the prototype syllable, initially highly overlapping burst sequences become increasingly distinct. We propose a mechanistic model in which multiple neural sequences can emerge from the growth and splitting of a common precursor sequence.
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Liu WC, Rivers JW, White DJ. Vocal matching and intensity of begging calls are associated with a forebrain song circuit in a generalist brood parasite. Dev Neurobiol 2015; 76:615-25. [DOI: 10.1002/dneu.22348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2015] [Revised: 08/16/2015] [Accepted: 08/31/2015] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Wan-Chun Liu
- Laboratory of Animal Behavior; The Rockefeller University; New York New York 10065
| | - James W. Rivers
- Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society; Oregon State University, Corvallis; Oregon 97331
| | - David J. White
- Psychology Department; Wilfrid Laurier University; Ontario Canada N2L 3C5
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Pidoux M, Bollu T, Riccelli T, Goldberg JH. Origins of basal ganglia output signals in singing juvenile birds. J Neurophysiol 2015; 113:843-55. [PMID: 25392171 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00635.2014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Across species, complex circuits inside the basal ganglia (BG) converge on pallidal output neurons that exhibit movement-locked firing patterns. Yet the origins of these firing patterns remain poorly understood. In songbirds during vocal babbling, BG output neurons homologous to those found in the primate internal pallidal segment are uniformly activated in the tens of milliseconds prior to syllable onsets. To test the origins of this remarkably homogenous BG output signal, we recorded from diverse upstream BG cell types during babbling. Prior to syllable onsets, at the same time that internal pallidal segment-like neurons were activated, putative medium spiny neurons, fast spiking and tonically active interneurons also exhibited transient rate increases. In contrast, pallidal neurons homologous to those found in primate external pallidal segment exhibited transient rate decreases. To test origins of these signals, we performed recordings following lesion of corticostriatal inputs from premotor nucleus HVC. HVC lesions largely abolished these syllable-locked signals. Altogether, these findings indicate a striking homogeneity of syllable timing signals in the songbird BG during babbling and are consistent with a role for the indirect and hyperdirect pathways in transforming cortical inputs into BG outputs during an exploratory behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morgane Pidoux
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
| | - Tejapratap Bollu
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
| | - Tori Riccelli
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
| | - Jesse H Goldberg
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
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James LS, Sakata JT. Vocal motor changes beyond the sensitive period for song plasticity. J Neurophysiol 2014; 112:2040-52. [PMID: 25057147 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00217.2014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Behavior is critically shaped during sensitive periods in development. Birdsong is a learned vocal behavior that undergoes dramatic plasticity during a sensitive period of sensorimotor learning. During this period, juvenile songbirds engage in vocal practice to shape their vocalizations into relatively stereotyped songs. By the time songbirds reach adulthood, their songs are relatively stable and thought to be "crystallized." Recent studies, however, highlight the potential for adult song plasticity and suggest that adult song could naturally change over time. As such, we investigated the degree to which temporal and spectral features of song changed over time in adult Bengalese finches. We observed that the sequencing and timing of song syllables became more stereotyped over time. Increases in the stereotypy of syllable sequencing were due to the pruning of infrequently produced transitions and, to a lesser extent, increases in the prevalence of frequently produced transitions. Changes in song tempo were driven by decreases in the duration and variability of intersyllable gaps. In contrast to significant changes to temporal song features, we found little evidence that the spectral structure of adult song syllables changed over time. These data highlight differences in the degree to which temporal and spectral features of adult song change over time and support evidence for distinct mechanisms underlying the control of syllable sequencing, timing, and structure. Furthermore, the observed changes to temporal song features are consistent with a Hebbian framework of behavioral plasticity and support the notion that adult song should be considered a form of vocal practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Logan S James
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Jon T Sakata
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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Schmidt MF, Martin Wild J. The respiratory-vocal system of songbirds: anatomy, physiology, and neural control. PROGRESS IN BRAIN RESEARCH 2014; 212:297-335. [PMID: 25194204 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-444-63488-7.00015-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
This wide-ranging review presents an overview of the respiratory-vocal system in songbirds, which are the only other vertebrate group known to display a degree of respiratory control during song rivalling that of humans during speech; this despite the fact that the peripheral components of both the respiratory and vocal systems differ substantially in the two groups. We first provide a brief description of these peripheral components in songbirds (lungs, air sacs and respiratory muscles, vocal organ (syrinx), upper vocal tract) and then proceed to a review of the organization of central respiratory-related neurons in the spinal cord and brainstem, the latter having an organization fundamentally similar to that of the ventral respiratory group of mammals. The second half of the review describes the nature of the motor commands generated in a specialized "cortical" song control circuit and how these might engage brainstem respiratory networks to shape the temporal structure of song. We also discuss a bilaterally projecting "respiratory-thalamic" pathway that links the respiratory system to "cortical" song control nuclei. This necessary pathway for song originates in the brainstem's primary inspiratory center and is hypothesized to play a vital role in synchronizing song motor commands both within and across hemispheres.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc F Schmidt
- Department of Biology and Neuroscience Program, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
| | - J Martin Wild
- Department of Anatomy with Radiology, School of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
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Rudimentary substrates for vocal learning in a suboscine. Nat Commun 2013; 4:2082. [DOI: 10.1038/ncomms3082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2012] [Accepted: 05/29/2013] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
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Wada K, Hayase S, Imai R, Mori C, Kobayashi M, Liu WC, Takahasi M, Okanoya K. Differential androgen receptor expression and DNA methylation state in striatum song nucleus Area X between wild and domesticated songbird strains. Eur J Neurosci 2013; 38:2600-10. [PMID: 23701473 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.12258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2012] [Revised: 04/11/2013] [Accepted: 04/14/2013] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
In songbirds, a specialized neural system, the song system, is responsible for acquisition and expression of species-specific vocal patterns. We report evidence for differential gene expression between wild and domesticated strains having different learned vocal phenotypes. A domesticated strain of the wild white-rumped munia, the Bengalese finch, has a distinct song pattern with a more complicated syntax than the wild strain. We identified differential androgen receptor (AR) expression in basal ganglia nucleus Area X GABAergic neurons between the two strains, and within different domesticated populations. Differences in AR expression were correlated with the mean coefficient of variation of the inter-syllable duration in the two strains. Differential AR expression in Area X was observed before the initiation of singing, suggesting that inherited and/or early developmental mechanisms may affect expression within and between strains. However, there were no distinct differences in regions upstream of the AR start codon among all the birds in the study. In contrast, an epigenetic modification, DNA methylation state in regions upstream of AR in Area X, was observed to differ between strains and within domesticated populations. These results provide insight into the molecular basis of behavioral evolution through the regulation of hormone-related genes and demonstrate the potential association between epigenetic modifications and behavioral phenotype regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazuhiro Wada
- Department of Biological Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan.
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Glaze CM, Troyer TW. Development of temporal structure in zebra finch song. J Neurophysiol 2012; 109:1025-35. [PMID: 23175805 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00578.2012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Zebra finch song has provided an excellent case study in the neural basis of sequence learning, with a high degree of temporal precision and tight links with precisely timed bursting in forebrain neurons. To examine the development of song timing, we measured the following four aspects of song temporal structure at four age ranges between 65 and 375 days posthatch: the mean durations of song syllables and the silent gaps between them, timing variability linked to song tempo, timing variability expressed independently across syllables and gaps, and transition probabilities between consecutive syllable pairs. We found substantial increases in song tempo between 65 and 85 days posthatch, due almost entirely to a shortening of gaps. We also found a decrease in tempo variability, also specific to gaps. Both the magnitude of the increase in tempo and the decrease in tempo variability were correlated on gap-by-gap basis with increases in the reliability of corresponding syllable transitions. Syllables had no systematic increase in tempo or decrease in tempo variability. In contrast to tempo parameters, both syllables and gaps showed an early sharp reduction in independent variability followed by continued reductions over the first year. The data suggest that links between syllable-based representations are strengthened during the later parts of the traditional period of song learning and that song rhythm continues to become more regular throughout the first year of life. Similar learning patterns have been identified in human sequence learning, suggesting a potentially rich area of comparative research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher M Glaze
- Program in Neuroscience and Cognitive Science, Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA.
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A cortical motor nucleus drives the basal ganglia-recipient thalamus in singing birds. Nat Neurosci 2012; 15:620-7. [PMID: 22327474 PMCID: PMC3321369 DOI: 10.1038/nn.3047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2011] [Accepted: 01/12/2012] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The pallido-recipient thalamus transmits information from the basal ganglia (BG) to the cortex and plays a critical role motor initiation and learning. Thalamic activity is strongly inhibited by pallidal inputs from the BG, but the role of non-pallidal inputs, such as excitatory inputs from cortex, is unclear. We have recorded simultaneously from presynaptic pallidal axon terminals and postsynaptic thalamocortical neurons in a BG-recipient thalamic nucleus necessary for vocal variability and learning in zebra finches. We found that song-locked rate modulations in the thalamus could not be explained by pallidal inputs alone, and persisted following pallidal lesion. Instead, thalamic activity was likely driven by inputs from a motor ‘cortical’ nucleus also necessary for singing. These findings suggest a role for cortical inputs to the pallido-recipient thalamus in driving premotor signals important for exploratory behavior and learning.
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Two distinct modes of forebrain circuit dynamics underlie temporal patterning in the vocalizations of young songbirds. J Neurosci 2012; 31:16353-68. [PMID: 22072687 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.3009-11.2011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Accurate timing is a critical aspect of motor control, yet the temporal structure of many mature behaviors emerges during learning from highly variable exploratory actions. How does a developing brain acquire the precise control of timing in behavioral sequences? To investigate the development of timing, we analyzed the songs of young juvenile zebra finches. These highly variable vocalizations, akin to human babbling, gradually develop into temporally stereotyped adult songs. We find that the durations of syllables and silences in juvenile singing are formed by a mixture of two distinct modes of timing: a random mode producing broadly distributed durations early in development, and a stereotyped mode underlying the gradual emergence of stereotyped durations. Using lesions, inactivations, and localized brain cooling, we investigated the roles of neural dynamics within two premotor cortical areas in the production of these temporal modes. We find that LMAN (lateral magnocellular nucleus of the nidopallium) is required specifically for the generation of the random mode of timing and that mild cooling of LMAN causes an increase in the durations produced by this mode. On the contrary, HVC (used as a proper name) is required specifically for producing the stereotyped mode of timing, and its cooling causes a slowing of all stereotyped components. These results show that two neural pathways contribute to the timing of juvenile songs and suggest an interesting organization in the forebrain, whereby different brain areas are specialized for the production of distinct forms of neural dynamics.
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Fee MS, Goldberg JH. A hypothesis for basal ganglia-dependent reinforcement learning in the songbird. Neuroscience 2011; 198:152-70. [PMID: 22015923 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2011.09.069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 145] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2011] [Revised: 09/30/2011] [Accepted: 09/30/2011] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Most of our motor skills are not innately programmed, but are learned by a combination of motor exploration and performance evaluation, suggesting that they proceed through a reinforcement learning (RL) mechanism. Songbirds have emerged as a model system to study how a complex behavioral sequence can be learned through an RL-like strategy. Interestingly, like motor sequence learning in mammals, song learning in birds requires a basal ganglia (BG)-thalamocortical loop, suggesting common neural mechanisms. Here, we outline a specific working hypothesis for how BG-forebrain circuits could utilize an internally computed reinforcement signal to direct song learning. Our model includes a number of general concepts borrowed from the mammalian BG literature, including a dopaminergic reward prediction error and dopamine-mediated plasticity at corticostriatal synapses. We also invoke a number of conceptual advances arising from recent observations in the songbird. Specifically, there is evidence for a specialized cortical circuit that adds trial-to-trial variability to stereotyped cortical motor programs, and a role for the BG in "biasing" this variability to improve behavioral performance. This BG-dependent "premotor bias" may in turn guide plasticity in downstream cortical synapses to consolidate recently learned song changes. Given the similarity between mammalian and songbird BG-thalamocortical circuits, our model for the role of the BG in this process may have broader relevance to mammalian BG function.
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Affiliation(s)
- M S Fee
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
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