Auditory processing in the zebra finch midbrain: single unit responses and effect of rearing experience

PeerJ

article

Priscilla Logerot¹  Paul F. Smith²  Martin Wild³  M. Fabiana Kubke⁴ 

[1] Anatomy and Medical Imaging, University of Auckland, University of Auckland;Dept. of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Biomedical Sciences, Brain Health Research Centre, Brain Research New Zealand, and Eisdell Moore Centre, University of Otago;Anatomy and Medical Imaging and Eisdell Moore Centre, University of Auckland, University of Auckland;Anatomy and Medical Imaging, Centre for Brain Research and Eisdell Moore Centre, University of Auckland, University of Auckland

关键词: Zebra finch;    Auditory;    Song learning;    Songbird;    Midbrain;    MLd;   

DOI  :  10.7717/peerj.9363

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: Inra

【 摘 要 】

In birds the auditory system plays a key role in providing the sensory input used to discriminate between conspecific and heterospecific vocal signals. In those species that are known to learn their vocalizations, for example, songbirds, it is generally considered that this ability arises and is manifest in the forebrain, although there is no a priori reason why brainstem components of the auditory system could not also play an important part. To test this assumption, we used groups of normal reared and cross-fostered zebra finches that had previously been shown in behavioural experiments to reduce their preference for conspecific songs subsequent to cross fostering experience with Bengalese finches, a related species with a distinctly different song. The question we asked, therefore, is whether this experiential change also changes the bias in favour of conspecific song displayed by auditory midbrain units of normally raised zebra finches. By recording the responses of single units in MLd to a variety of zebra finch and Bengalese finch songs in both normally reared and cross-fostered zebra finches, we provide a positive answer to this question. That is, the difference in response to conspecific and heterospecific songs seen in normal reared zebra finches is reduced following cross-fostering. In birds the virtual absence of mammalian-like cortical projections upon auditory brainstem nuclei argues against the interpretation that MLd units change, as observed in the present experiments, as a result of top-down influences on sensory processing. Instead, it appears that MLd units can be influenced significantly by sensory inputs arising directly from a change in auditory experience during development.

【 授权许可】

CC BY