title: VoICE: A semi-automated pipeline for standardizing vocal analysis across models.
abstract: The study of vocal communication in animal models provides key insight to the neurogenetic basis for speech and communication disorders. Current methods for vocal analysis suffer from a lack of standardization, creating ambiguity in cross-laboratory and cross-species comparisons. Here, we present VoICE (Vocal Inventory Clustering Engine), an approach to grouping vocal elements by creating a high dimensionality dataset through scoring spectral similarity between all vocalizations within a recording session. This dataset is then subjected to hierarchical clustering, generating a dendrogram that is pruned into meaningful vocalization "types" by an automated algorithm. When applied to birdsong, a key model for vocal learning, VoICE captures the known deterioration in acoustic properties that follows deafening, including altered sequencing. In a mammalian neurodevelopmental model, we uncover a reduced vocal repertoire of mice lacking the autism susceptibility gene, Cntnap2. VoICE will be useful to the scientific community as it can standardize vocalization analyses across species and laboratories.
authors.affiliation: 1] Department of Integrative Biology &Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095 [2] Interdepartmental Program in Molecular, Cellular, &Integrative Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095.
authors.forename: Zachary D
authors.initials: ZD
authors.lastname: Burkett
authors.affiliation: Department of Integrative Biology &Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095.
authors.forename: Nancy F
authors.initials: NF
authors.lastname: Day
authors.affiliation: 1] Program in Neurogenetics, Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095 [2] Center for Autism Research &Treatment, Semel Institute for Neuroscience &Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095.
authors.forename: Olga
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Peñagarikano
authors.affiliation: 1] Program in Neurogenetics, Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095 [2] Center for Autism Research &Treatment, Semel Institute for Neuroscience &Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095 [3] Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, Semel Institute for Neuroscience &Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095.
authors.forename: Daniel H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Geschwind
authors.affiliation: 1] Department of Integrative Biology &Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095 [2] Interdepartmental Program in Molecular, Cellular, &Integrative Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095.
authors.forename: Stephanie A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: White
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001331:Automation; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D046369:Finches / Q000502:physiology; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics; D010641:Phenotype; D013061:Speech Acoustics; D014828:Vocalization, Animal
chemical_list: C568163:CNTNAP2 protein, mouse; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins