Date: March 15, 2018
Source: UT Southwestern Medical Center
Songbirds are providing insight
into how a specific set of neurons may guide the learning of vocal behaviors in
humans.
A study from UT Southwestern's
Peter O'Donnell Jr. Brain Institute demonstrates that a bird's song can be
altered -- to the syllable -- by activating and deactivating a neuronal pathway
responsible for helping the brain determine whether a vocalization is performed
correctly. Previous research has shown that when a song is performed without
perceived error, certain neurons release dopamine to brain areas involved in
motor control. The new study shows that by activating and suppressing these
neurons, scientists can prompt the birds to change specific syllables in future
performances.
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