Syringeal EMGs and synthetic stimuli reveal a switchlike activation of the songbird?s vocal motor program

BUSH ALAN; DOPPLER JUAN; F GOLLER; B G MINDLIN

PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

NATL ACAD SCIENCES

Lugar: Washington DC, USA; Año: 2018

0027-8424

The coordination of complex vocal behaviors like human speechand oscine birdsong requires fine interactions between sensoryand motor programs, the details of which are not completelyunderstood. Here, we show that in sleeping male zebra finches(Taeniopygia guttata), the activity of the song system selectivelyevoked by playbacks of their own song can be detected in thesyrinx. Electromyograms (EMGs) of a syringeal muscle showplayback-evoked patterns strikingly similar to those recorded duringsong execution, with preferred activation instants within thesong. Using this global and continuous readout, we studied theactivation dynamics of the song system elicited by different auditorystimuli. We found that synthetic versions of the bird?s song,rendered by a physical model of the avian phonation apparatus,evoked very similar responses, albeit with lower efficiency. Modificationsof autogenous or synthetic songs reduce the responseprobability, but when present, the elicited activity patterns matchexecution patterns in shape and timing, indicating an all-or-nothingactivation of the vocal motor program.zebra finch | song system | sensory?motor integration