title: Imaging auditory representations of song and syllables in populations of sensorimotor neurons essential to vocal communication.
abstract: 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.
authors: Department of Neurobiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina 27710.
authors: Wendy Y X
authors: WY
authors: Peh
authors: Department of Neurobiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina 27710.
authors: Todd F
authors: TF
authors: Roberts
authors: Department of Neurobiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina 27710 mooney@neuro.duke.edu.
authors: Richard
authors: R
authors: Mooney
mesh_terms: D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000200:Action Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D001306:Auditory Pathways / Q000502:physiology*; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D046369:Finches; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008297:Male; D009146:Music; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000502:physiology; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D009930:Organic Chemicals / Q000378:metabolism; D018408:Patch-Clamp Techniques; D046709:Pattern Recognition, Physiological / Q000502:physiology*; D066191:Sensorimotor Cortex / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology*; D013687:Telencephalon / Q000293:injuries / Q000502:physiology; D013997:Time Factors; D014828:Vocalization, Animal / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: C417664:Alexa594; D009930:Organic Chemicals; D002118:Calcium
keywords: auditory encoding; calcium imaging; functional organization; sensorimotor area; songbird; vocal communication