Bilateral neurotoxic lesions in NCM before tutoring onset do not prevent successful tutor song learning

Sensorimotor learning crucially depends on the ability to acquire a sensory memory for shaping motor commands. Such learning is conveniently studied in young songbirds when they memorize the song of an adult singer and gradually transform their own vocalizations toward the memorized target song. Here we study the involvement of the Caudal Medial Nidopallium (NCM), a higher auditory cortical area, in acquisition of a song memory. NCM has previously been shown to be involved in tutor song memorization. To study the necessity of NCM in this process, we perform large irreversible NCM lesions using ibotenic acid injections in about 40-days old juvenile zebra finches, before their first exposure to tutor song. Surprisingly, NCM-lesioned juveniles successfully copied the tutor song at least as well as untreated control animals, showing that a fully intact NCM is not required for tutor song memory formation and normal song development

Bilateral neurotoxic lesions in NCM before tutoring onset do not prevent successful tutor song learning

Sensorimotor learning crucially depends on the ability to acquire a sensory memory for shaping motor commands. Such learning is conveniently studied in young songbirds when they memorize the song of an adult singer and gradually transform their own vocalizations toward the memorized target song. Here we study the involvement of the Caudal Medial Nidopallium (NCM), a higher auditory cortical area, in acquisition of a song memory. NCM has previously been shown to be involved in tutor song memorization. To study the necessity of NCM in this process, we perform large irreversible NCM lesions using ibotenic acid injections in about 40-days old juvenile zebra finches, before their first exposure to tutor song. Surprisingly, NCM-lesioned juveniles successfully copied the tutor song at least as well as untreated control animals, showing that a fully intact NCM is not required for tutor song memory formation and normal song development

Lesions of a higher auditory brain area during a sensorimotor period do not impair birdsong learning

ISSN:2297-824

Lesions of a higher auditory brain area during a sensorimotor period do not impair birdsong learning

One important function of the nervous system is to form and retrieve memories to direct behavior. A prime example of memorization occurs in songbirds when they imitate the songs of another bird heard early in life. Although many brain areas required for song learning have been identified, their separate roles in memory formation and retrieval remain unclear. In juvenile male zebra finches, we test the role of a higher auditory cortical area in memory retrieval. The Caudal Medial Nidopallium (NCM) has previously been shown to be necessary for song memory acquisition and is thus a likely location for holding the memory of tutor song necessary for learning. We extensively exposed young birds to tutor song after which we performed large bilateral lesions in NCM using injection of ibotenic acid. We observe successful song copying in lesioned animals, comparable to song behavior in untreated control birds. Our results show that intact NCM is not required to guide vocal learning based on a previously formed song memory