Vocal learning in songbirds is a unique, experimentally accessible model of human vocal learning that also exemplifies the acquisition of complex social behavior. A male songbird learns his courtship song by first memorizing his father's song, and later using auditory feedback to match his own song to his memory of his father's song. One major advantage to this model system is the existence of separate forebrain circuits involved in producing the song and in learning it. The pathway needed for learning song involves the basal ganglia, a set of brain regions known in mammals to be important for motor control, motor learning and a variety of cognitive functions. Because of the relatively simple circuitry for song learning, we hypothesize that understanding vocal learning in songbirds will provide general insights into learning mechanisms in mammals, including humans. Specifically, we propose to explore cellular mechanisms underlying information transfer and processing through the learning circuit. The experiments proposed here will use electrophysiological and neuroanatomical approaches to understand, the structural, functional and molecular components of the wiring of this pathway. We will: (1) determine the cellular specializations underlying an unusually powerful inhibitory synapse in the learning circuit; (2) test whether that ?inhibitory? synapse can drive activity in postsynaptic neurons in vivo; (3) determine the dopamine receptors and neuropeptides in key neurons in one basal ganglia structure essential for learning; (4) test for functional connections in a novel anatomically characterized pathway that could provide song-related information to neurons of the dopamine system; and (5) measure when dopamine is released in the learning circuit, as a first test of whether dopamine may play a role in song learning. These experiments will provide necessary fundamental information about how the avian learning circuit accomplishes its normal function. Because of the strong foundation that we and others have built comparing avian song learning circuits with basal ganglia circuits in mammals, the results will yield insights more broadly into how basal ganglia circuits can contribute to learning of complex behavior. They will lay the foundation for higher-level experiments aimed at manipulating information processing in the learning circuit to alter learning in a predictable fashion. Although this work is focused on the basic mechanisms underlying cognitive function, because a variety of disorders such as autism spectrum disorder, schizophrenia, Parkinson disease and Huntington disease involve the basal ganglia, this research also has the potential to have longterm impact on those disorders.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Type
High Priority, Short Term Project Award (R56)
Project #
2R56MH066128-06
Application #
7616981
Study Section
Sensorimotor Integration Study Section (SMI)
Program Officer
Vicentic, Aleksandra
Project Start
2002-07-01
Project End
2009-04-14
Budget Start
2008-07-01
Budget End
2009-04-14
Support Year
6
Fiscal Year
2008
Total Cost
$392,805
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Washington
Department
Otolaryngology
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
605799469
City
Seattle
State
WA
Country
United States
Zip Code
98195
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Bhama, Prabhat K; Hillel, Allen D; Merati, Albert L et al. (2011) A novel model for examining recovery of phonation after vocal nerve damage. J Voice 25:275-82
Thompson, John A; Perkel, David J (2011) Endocannabinoids mediate synaptic plasticity at glutamatergic synapses on spiny neurons within a basal ganglia nucleus necessary for song learning. J Neurophysiol 105:1159-69
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