Thursday, August 7, 2025 8/7/2025

Delineation of auditory-motor population dynamics underlying sensorimotor integration in the birdsong system

Award Number: F31DC021631
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON DEAFNESS AND OTHER COMMUNICATION DISORDERS
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: FELLOWSHIP/SCHOLARSHIP/STUDENT LOANS
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 08/26/2023
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 08/25/2026

Group Awards By:

View Award Description

Delineation of auditory-motor population dynamics underlying sensorimotor integration in the birdsong system - PROJECT SUMMARY Speech is a closed-loop behavior which requires the brain to continuously perceive and produce acoustic signals in real time. Current neurobiological theories of speech posit that neural population activity across auditory and motor regions is dynamically coupled during speech production, but that speech perception relies on auditory processing alone. This sensorimotor integration hypothesis would allow the brain to exploit immediate auditory feedback to fine-tune the motor actions that elicit speech. Rigorous neurobiological tests of sensorimotor integration require (1) a model system that enables the control and measurement of sensorimotor behaviors, (2) the experimental expertise to conduct large-scale neural recordings simultaneously in sensory and motor regions, and (3) the computational abilities to develop population scale analyses that assess coordination in the distributed dynamics of individual neurons. This proposal presents a synergistic combination of experiments and analyses that meet these requirements: Simultaneous recordings and perturbations of both auditory and motor regions in European starlings during birdsong production and perception are combined with novel topological data analyses (TDA) to uncover the population mechanisms that instantiate sensorimotor integration. European starlings are an ideal organism for understanding neurobiological mechanisms that support sensorimotor integration; they produce and rely on complex vocal communication signals and have a long history of use in invasive electrophysiology studies. The overarching goal of this proposal is to investigate how distributed neuronal population activity integrates auditory and motor information during closed-loop behavior—specifically birdsong. The central hypothesis of this proposal is that auditory and motor population activity is uniquely coupled when birds sing, in contrast to when birds listen to song. This hypothesis will be tested through the following specific aims: In Aim 1, simultaneously recording auditory and motor regions while birds sing and listen to song will enable an understanding of how population activity is coordinated across regions. In Aim 2, recordings from auditory regions with concurrent optogenetic inhibition of motor regions while birds sing and listen to song will enable a delineation of causal interactions between regions. Novel TDA will be used to quantify the coordination of neural activity across regions and through time, enabling mechanistic insight into how population dynamics structure song behavior. Contrasting population activity across auditory and motor areas between singing and listening will allow for the identification of dynamics unique to sensorimotor integration. In the near-term, this proposal provides a mechanistic understanding of how neuronal populations coordinate to perform sensorimotor integration in the songbird system. In the long-term, this approach will enable future research into how brain network dynamics support closed-loop behaviors, such as speech. Ultimately, this proposal will enable the training and development of a unique and synergistic combination of skills that has the potential to provide novel insight into the neurobiological mechanisms of sensorimotor integration.


Issue Date FY	Funding FY	Legal Entity Name	Legal Entity Address	Legal Entity City	Legal Entity State	Legal Entity Zip Code	Legal Entity COUNTY	Legal Entity COUNTRY	Assistance Listing	Award Code	Budget Year	Action Date	Action Type	Action Amount

Issue Date FY: 2025 ( Subtotal = $42,173 )
2025	2025	UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO	9500 GILMAN DR	LA JOLLA	CA	92093	SAN DIEGO	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	000	3	7/15/2025	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$42,173
														Subtotal = $42,173

Issue Date FY: 2024 ( Subtotal = $41,609 )
2024	2024	UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO	9500 GILMAN DR	LA JOLLA	CA	92093	SAN DIEGO	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	000	2	7/30/2024	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$41,609
														Subtotal = $41,609

Issue Date FY: 2023 ( Subtotal = $40,329 )
2023	2023	UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO	9500 GILMAN DRIVE	LA JOLLA	CA	92093	SAN DIEGO	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	001	1	8/26/2023	NEW	$0
2023	2023	UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO	9500 GILMAN DRIVE	LA JOLLA	CA	92093	SAN DIEGO	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	000	1	8/26/2023	NEW	$40,329
														Subtotal = $40,329

Grand Total All Awards = $124,111

Top

All Categories

About

Search

Reports

Data Submission

Award Information

Delineation of auditory-motor population dynamics underlying sensorimotor integration in the birdsong system

Award Number: F31DC021631

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON DEAFNESS AND OTHER COMMUNICATION DISORDERS

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: FELLOWSHIP/SCHOLARSHIP/STUDENT LOANS

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 08/26/2023

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 08/25/2026

Federal Websites

Department of Health & Human Services

HHS Operating Divisions

HHS Staff Divisions

Download A Document Viewer