Neurobiological predictors and social enhancers of vocal learning.

Cultural transmission of vocal behaviours such as human speech or bird song, are greatly influenced by how adults interact with each other and with their young. Even though these behavioural observations are well established, surprisingly, the neurobiological mechanisms via which social enhancement potentiates learning are still poorly understood. Recently, we discovered that future song learning accuracy can be predicted very early in the song learning process based on the structural properties of the auditory areas of the zebra finch brain. Building further on this recent discovery, we aim to (1) identify the neurobiological basis of this prediction; (2) uncover the functional neural circuit that selectively responds to social factors inherent to song learning; and (3) unravel the functional and structural connectivity between the prediction site and remote brain areas. To reach these aims, we will use advanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) tools that enable to repeatedly quantify the structural architecture and connectivity of the zebra finch brain along the process of vocal learning. We will validate these insights by advanced histology. Moreover, this will be the first study to employ awake functional MRI in juvenile zebra finches to repeatedly probe brain activation patterns in response to specific stimuli presented by a video. To establish brain-behaviour relationship, we will evaluate the MRI outcome relative to several behavioural measures in the same bird.

Keywords:SONGBIRD BRAIN, VOCAL COMMUNICATION, SOCIAL ENHANCEMENT, MRI

Disciplines:Animal experimental psychology, Neuroimaging, Learning and behaviour