Maximized song learning of juvenile male zebra finches following BDNF expression in the HVC

2013 ◽  
Vol 38 (9) ◽  
pp. 3338-3344 ◽  
Author(s):  
Falk Dittrich ◽  
Andries ter Maat ◽  
Rene F. Jansen ◽  
Anton Pieneman ◽  
Moritz Hertel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Song Learning ◽  
Zebra Finches ◽  
Juvenile Male ◽  
Bdnf Expression

scholarly journals The interplay of within-species perceptual predispositions and experience during song ontogeny in zebra finches ( Taeniopygia guttata )

2014 ◽  
Vol 281 (1796) ◽  
pp. 20141860 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sita M. ter Haar ◽  
Wiebke Kaemper ◽  
Koen Stam ◽  
Clara C. Levelt ◽  
Carel ten Cate
Keyword(s):  
Zebra Finch ◽  
Taeniopygia Guttata ◽  
Song Learning ◽  
Zebra Finches ◽  
Speech Sounds ◽  
Common Elements ◽  
Juvenile Male ◽  
Young Infants ◽  
Perceptual Preferences ◽  
Zebra Finch Song

Vocal acquisition in songbirds and humans shows many similarities, one of which is that both involve a combination of experience and perceptual predispositions. Among languages some speech sounds are shared, while others are not. This could reflect a predisposition in young infants for learning some speech sounds over others, which combines with exposure-based learning. Similarly, in songbirds, some sounds are common across populations, while others are more specific to populations or individuals. We examine whether this is also due to perceptual preferences for certain within-species element types in naive juvenile male birds, and how such preferences interact with exposure to guide subsequent song learning. We show that young zebra finches lacking previous song exposure perceptually prefer songs with more common zebra finch song element types over songs with less common elements. Next, we demonstrate that after subsequent tutoring, birds prefer tutor songs regardless of whether these contain more common or less common elements. In adulthood, birds tutored with more common elements showed a higher song similarity to their tutor song, indicating that the early bias influenced song learning. Our findings help to understand the maintenance of similarities and the presence of differences among birds' songs, their dialects and human languages.

Early life nutritional stress affects song learning but not underlying neural circuitry in zebra finches.

2020 ◽  
Vol 134 (3) ◽  
pp. 222-232
Author(s):  
Khulganaa Buyannemekh ◽  
Jessica B. Zito ◽  
Michelle L. Tomaszycki
Keyword(s):  
Early Life ◽  
Nutritional Stress ◽  
Neural Circuitry ◽  
Song Learning ◽  
Zebra Finches

scholarly journals Adding colour-realistic video images to audio playbacks increases stimulus engagement but does not enhance vocal learning in zebra finches

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Judith M. Varkevisser ◽  
Ralph Simon ◽  
Ezequiel Mendoza ◽  
Martin How ◽  
Idse van Hijlkema ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Visual Cues ◽  
Sound Production ◽  
Visual Stimuli ◽  
Vocal Learning ◽  
Song Learning ◽  
Frame Rate ◽  
Zebra Finches ◽  
Video Content ◽  
Biologically Relevant ◽  
Video Images

AbstractBird song and human speech are learned early in life and for both cases engagement with live social tutors generally leads to better learning outcomes than passive audio-only exposure. Real-world tutor–tutee relations are normally not uni- but multimodal and observations suggest that visual cues related to sound production might enhance vocal learning. We tested this hypothesis by pairing appropriate, colour-realistic, high frame-rate videos of a singing adult male zebra finch tutor with song playbacks and presenting these stimuli to juvenile zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata). Juveniles exposed to song playbacks combined with video presentation of a singing bird approached the stimulus more often and spent more time close to it than juveniles exposed to audio playback only or audio playback combined with pixelated and time-reversed videos. However, higher engagement with the realistic audio–visual stimuli was not predictive of better song learning. Thus, although multimodality increased stimulus engagement and biologically relevant video content was more salient than colour and movement equivalent videos, the higher engagement with the realistic audio–visual stimuli did not lead to enhanced vocal learning. Whether the lack of three-dimensionality of a video tutor and/or the lack of meaningful social interaction make them less suitable for facilitating song learning than audio–visual exposure to a live tutor remains to be tested.

Projection neurons within a vocal motor pathway are born during song learning in zebra finches

Nature ◽  
1988 ◽  
Vol 334 (6178) ◽  
pp. 149-151 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathy W. Nordeen ◽  
Ernest J. Nordeen
Keyword(s):  
Song Learning ◽  
Projection Neurons ◽  
Zebra Finches ◽  
Motor Pathway

scholarly journals Noradrenergic and GABAB Receptor Activation Differentially Modulate Inputs to the Premotor Nucleus RA in Zebra Finches

2008 ◽  
Vol 100 (1) ◽  
pp. 8-18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Max Sizemore ◽  
David J. Perkel
Keyword(s):  
Gabab Receptor ◽  
Cell Voltage ◽  
Receptor Activation ◽  
Social Contexts ◽  
Excitatory Input ◽  
Song Learning ◽  
Zebra Finches ◽  
Proper Name ◽  
Magnocellular Nucleus

Neuromodulators can rapidly modify neural circuits, altering behavior. Songbirds provide an excellent system for studying the role of neuromodulation in modifying circuits that underlie behavior because song learning and production are mediated by a discrete set of interconnected nuclei. We examined the neuromodulatory effects of noradrenergic and GABAB receptor activation on synaptic inputs to the premotor robust nucleus of the arcopallium (RA) in zebra finches using whole cell voltage-clamp recording in vitro. In adults, norepinephrine strongly reduced input from the lateral magnocellular nucleus of the anterior nidopallium (LMAN) but only slightly reduced the input from nucleus HVC (proper name), the excitatory input from axon collaterals of other RA neurons, and input from GABAergic interneurons. The effect of norepinephrine was mimicked by the α2 adrenoceptor agonist UK14,304 and blocked by the α2 antagonist yohimbine. Conversely, the GABAB receptor agonist baclofen strongly decreased HVC, collateral, and GABAergic inputs to RA neurons while causing little reduction in the LMAN input. In juveniles undergoing song learning, norepinephrine reduced the LMAN input, caused only a small reduction in the HVC input, and greatly reduced the collateral and GABAergic inputs. Baclofen caused similar results in juvenile and adult birds, reducing HVC, collateral, and GABAergic inputs significantly more than the LMAN input. Significant increases in paired-pulse ratio accompanied all reductions in synaptic transmission, suggesting a presynaptic locus. The reduction in the LMAN input by norepinephrine may be important for mediating changes in song elicited by different social contexts and is well-placed to play a role in song learning.

Localized immediate early gene expression related to the strength of song learning in socially reared zebra finches

2001 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 2165-2170 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johan J. Bolhuis ◽  
Elske Hetebrij ◽  
Ardie M. Den Boer-Visser ◽  
Jurriaan H. De Groot ◽  
Guus G. O. Zijlstra
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Immediate Early Gene ◽  
Song Learning ◽  
Early Gene ◽  
Immediate Early ◽  
Zebra Finches ◽  
Early Gene Expression
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