Precise changes in brain circuitry occur as young zebra finches go from listening to their fathers' courtship songs to knowing the songs themselves, according to a study led by neuroscientists at NYU Langone Medical Center and published online in a Science cover report on January 14. The study reveals how birds learn songs through observation and practice, and the authors hope the work will guide future research into how patients with brain injuries might reacquire the ability to learn skilled behaviors like speech.
"While we have known for decades that adolescent songbirds only learn their songs if exposed to a tutor, we believe our study is the first to detail changes innerve networks that make this mastery possible in maturing brains," says senior study investigator Michael Long, PhD.
"Our results show that finch song learning reflects a 'dance' inside the brain's vocal control center between nerve cells that capture information as the bird listens and those that direct muscle movement as it sings," says Long, an assistant professor of neuroscience at NYU Langone.
In the current study, led by Daniela Vallentin, PhD, and Georg Kosche in the NYU Neuroscience Institute, the research team found that early in adolescence, just listening to a father's song turns on the same brain cell networks that the young bird will use later to sing the song once learned.
A second result revolves around a set of nerve cells in the brain - inhibitory interneurons - which dampen the activity of surrounding nerves to sculpt sensory input into function. Researchers found that interneurons suppress the impact of each note in a father's song as soon as it is learned,"locking" it into the younger bird's memory piece by piece.
"Our research advances the understanding of how skilled behaviors are learned, and the role played by sensory inhibition in making memorized pattern spermanent," says Long. Such a framework, he says, could apply to complex behaviors in people, such as dancing or hitting a baseball.
1 finch
n.雀科鸣禽(如燕雀，金丝雀等)
参考例句：
• This behaviour is commonly observed amongseveral species of finch.这种行为常常可以在几种雀科鸣禽中看到。
• In Australia,it is predominantly calledthe Gouldian Finch.在澳大利亚，它主要还是被称之为胡锦雀。
2 investigator
n.研究者，调查者，审查者
参考例句：
• He was a special investigator for theFBI.他是联邦调查局的特别调查员。
• The investigator was able to deduce thecrime and find the criminal.调查者能够推出犯罪过程并锁定罪犯。
3 vocal
adj.直言不讳的；嗓音的；n.[pl.]声乐节目
参考例句：
• The tongue is a vocal organ.舌头是一个发音器官。
• Public opinion at last became vocal.终于舆论哗然。
4 adolescence
参考例句：
• Adolescence is the process of going fromchildhood to maturity.青春期是从少年到成年的过渡期。
• The film is about the trials andtribulations of adolescence.这部电影讲述了青春期的麻烦和苦恼。
5 revolves
v.（使）旋转(revolve的第三人称单数 )；细想
参考例句：
• The earth revolves both round the sun andon its own axis. 地球既公转又自转。来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Thus a wheel revolves on its axle. 于是，轮子在轴上旋转。 来自《简明英汉词典》
6 sculpt
n.雕刻，雕塑，雕刻品，雕塑品
参考例句：
• When I sculpt,my style isexpressionistic.我的雕刻风格是表现主义。
• Then,sculpt the remaining fringe parting.然后雕刻剩余的边缘部分。
7 sensory
adj.知觉的，感觉的，知觉器官的
参考例句：
• Human powers of sensory discriminationare limited.人类感官分辨能力有限。
• The sensory system may undergo long-termadaptation in alien environments.感觉系统对陌生的环境可能经过长时期才能适应。
8 input
n.输入(物)；投入；vt.把(数据等)输入计算机
参考例句：
• I will forever be grateful for hisconsiderable input.我将永远感激他的大量投入。
• All this information had to be input ontothe computer.所有这些信息都必须输入计算机。
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