This thesis aims to elucidate the role that auditory feedback and experience play in the vocal behavior of the common marmoset. As a highly vocal New World monkey with a rich auditory communication system the marmoset may serve as a valuable model for human vocal behavior. We hypothesize that auditory function is necessary for proper development and maintenance of vocalizations in marmosets, and that disruption in auditory input will cause quantifiable alterations in call production. It is further hypothesized that certain features of calls and particular call types are more sensitive to auditory cues than others and will show the most disruption in deafened monkeys. In the first part of this study marmosets will be deafened in infancy, and vocalizations will be monitored as the monkeys mature. To further examine the role of feedback in adult monkeys a conductive hearing loss will be induced and call production changes will be analyzed both during and after hearing interruption. Vocal acquisition and production are issues of prime importance to scientists due to their tremendous impact on daily life; and it is likely that insight gained into the process of vocal development in non-human primate models will lead to advances in the treatment of a wide variety of communication disorders in humans. ? ?

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)
Type
Predoctoral Individual National Research Service Award (F31)
Project #
1F31DC006125-01
Application #
6646382
Study Section
Communication Disorders Review Committee (CDRC)
Program Officer
Sklare, Dan
Project Start
2003-01-01
Project End
Budget Start
2003-01-01
Budget End
2003-12-31
Support Year
1
Fiscal Year
2003
Total Cost
$41,014
Indirect Cost
Name
Johns Hopkins University
Department
Biomedical Engineering
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
001910777
City
Baltimore
State
MD
Country
United States
Zip Code
21218