{"id":{"repo_id":"vt","oai_identifier":"oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/70977"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/vt/oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/70977","repository":{"repo_id":"vt","name":"Virginia Tech","base_url":"https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Brain and Cognitive Consequences of Early-Life Immune System Challenge in a Songbird","abstract":"Cognition, defined as the mechanism by which an animal acquires, processes, stores, and uses information present in the environment, is a trait that is sensitive to developmental conditions. Existing research supports the idea that the ability to develop and maintain cognitive abilities depends on the physiological condition of the individual, which can be influenced by the early environment. Alterations in maternal care, social stress, and malnutrition are some examples of environmental conditions that impact development and resulting cognitive abilities across taxa. The primary goal of this research was to determine whether immune system challenge during the critical song learning period in zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) would lead to long term negative impacts on song quality and learning, spatial learning, and neophobia. Immune challenge during this period of development did not produce long term impacts on learning or memory, nor did it lead to any changes in neophobic responses. However, birds that were hatched later in a clutch performed better on the motoric and spatial tasks, and were less neophobic. Future research in zebra finches that can describe the variation in song attributes as a function of hatching order would be a useful first step in determining a mechanistic link between hatch order and song learning outcomes.","abstract_html":"Cognition, defined as the mechanism by which an animal acquires, processes, stores, and uses information present in the environment, is a trait that is sensitive to developmental conditions. Existing research supports the idea that the ability to develop and maintain cognitive abilities depends on the physiological condition of the individual, which can be influenced by the early environment. Alterations in maternal care, social stress, and malnutrition are some examples of environmental conditions that impact development and resulting cognitive abilities across taxa. The primary goal of this research was to determine whether immune system challenge during the critical song learning period in zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) would lead to long term negative impacts on song quality and learning, spatial learning, and neophobia. Immune challenge during this period of development did not produce long term impacts on learning or memory, nor did it lead to any changes in neophobic responses. However, birds that were hatched later in a clutch performed better on the motoric and spatial tasks, and were less neophobic. Future research in zebra finches that can describe the variation in song attributes as a function of hatching order would be a useful first step in determining a mechanistic link between hatch order and song learning outcomes.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Campbell, Simone Alicia"],"institution":"Virginia Tech","degree_name":"Master of Science","degree_level":"masters","degree_discipline":"Biological Sciences","degree_department":"Biological Sciences","school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":["Sewall, Kendra B."],"committee_members":["Hawley, Dana M.","Moore, Ignacio T."],"year":2016,"date_issued":"2016-05-17","date_published":"2016-05-17","updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:20:18Z","subjects":["immune challenge","developmental stress","songbird","learning and cognition"],"languages":[],"rights":["In Copyright"],"rights_urls":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"identifier_entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.other","label":"Dc Identifier Other","values":["vt_gsexam:8266"],"render_values":[{"text":"vt_gsexam:8266","href":null,"code":true}]}]},"links":{"outbound_url":"http://hdl.handle.net/10919/70977","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.committeechair","label":"Committee Chair","values":["Sewall, Kendra B."]},{"key":"dc:contributor.committeemember","label":"Committee Member","values":["Hawley, Dana M.","Moore, Ignacio T."]},{"key":"dc:contributor.department","label":"Department","values":["Biological Sciences"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Campbell, Simone Alicia"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2016-05-18T08:00:55Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2016-05-18T08:00:55Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2016-05-17"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["Virginia Tech"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Biological Sciences"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["masters"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science"]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["immune challenge","developmental stress","songbird","learning and cognition"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["In Copyright"]},{"key":"dc:rights.uri","label":"Rights URI","values":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.other","label":"Dc Identifier Other","values":["vt_gsexam:8266"]},{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["http://hdl.handle.net/10919/70977"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Cognition, defined as the mechanism by which an animal acquires, processes, stores, and uses information present in the environment, is a trait that is sensitive to developmental conditions. 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Future research in zebra finches that can describe the variation in song attributes as a function of hatching order would be a useful first step in determining a mechanistic link between hatch order and song learning outcomes."]},{"key":"dc:description.degree","label":"Dc Description Degree","values":["Master of Science"]},{"key":"dc:format.medium","label":"Dc Format Medium","values":["ETD"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Brain and Cognitive Consequences of Early-Life Immune System Challenge in a Songbird"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.committeechair":["Sewall, Kendra B."],"dc:contributor.committeemember":["Hawley, Dana M.","Moore, Ignacio T."],"dc:contributor.department":["Biological Sciences"],"dc:creator":["Campbell, Simone Alicia"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2016-05-18T08:00:55Z"],"dc:date.available":["2016-05-18T08:00:55Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2016-05-17"],"dc:description.abstract":["Cognition, defined as the mechanism by which an animal acquires, processes, stores, and uses information present in the environment, is a trait that is sensitive to developmental conditions. 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