Imaging auditory representations of song and syllables in populations of sensorimotor neurons essential to vocal communication.

Journal Article (Journal Article)

Vocal communication depends on the coordinated activity of sensorimotor neurons important to vocal perception and production. How vocalizations are represented by spatiotemporal activity patterns in these neuronal populations remains poorly understood. Here we combined intracellular recordings and two-photon calcium imaging in anesthetized adult zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) to examine how learned birdsong and its component syllables are represented in identified projection neurons (PNs) within HVC, a sensorimotor region important for song perception and production. These experiments show that neighboring HVC PNs can respond at markedly different times to song playback and that different syllables activate spatially intermingled PNs within a local (~100 μm) region of HVC. Moreover, noise correlations were stronger between PNs that responded most strongly to the same syllable and were spatially graded within and between classes of PNs. These findings support a model in which syllabic and temporal features of song are represented by spatially intermingled PNs functionally organized into cell- and syllable-type networks within local spatial scales in HVC.

Full Text

Duke Authors

Cited Authors

  • Peh, WYX; Roberts, TF; Mooney, R

Published Date

  • April 8, 2015

Published In

Volume / Issue

  • 35 / 14

Start / End Page

  • 5589 - 5605

PubMed ID

  • 25855175

Pubmed Central ID

  • PMC4388922

Electronic International Standard Serial Number (EISSN)

  • 1529-2401

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

  • 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2308-14.2015

Language

  • eng

Conference Location

  • United States