Emerging Auditory Selectivity in the Caudomedial Neostriatum of the Zebra Finch Songbird

<p>The ability to identify and interpret auditory stimuli from the environmental milieu is of particular importance in species that communicate using learned vocalizations. By chronically recording multiunit neuronal responses in awake, behaving zebra finch songbirds, I have demonstrated that the caudomedial neostriatum (NCM), a telencephalic nucleus in the ascending auditory pathway, exhibits responses that range from unselective to highly selective for species-specific stimuli. Sites demonstrating habituating responses are also found and are arranged heterogeneously with selective sites that do not habituate. During the act of singing, activity changes at the habituating sites becoming nonhabituating with neuronal firing occurring at distinct points in the song. Together, these data suggest the involvement of NCM in the processing of behaviorally significant stimuli both for passive audition and for auditory feedback.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Year

2001

Author dc:creator

• Ang, Caroline Wan-Yin

Contributors dc:contributor

• Fernando Nottebohm

• auditory processing
• zebra finch
• caudomedial neostriatum (NCM)
• vocalization
• neuronal selectivity
• habituation
• Life Sciences

Repository record dc:identifier

https://digitalcommons.rockefeller.edu/student_theses_and_dissertations/329

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:digitalcommons.rockefeller.edu:student_theses_and_dissertations-1334