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Dual Control of Feeding and Singing in the Songbird Motor System

Award Number: F31NS149523
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS AND STROKE
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: FELLOWSHIP/SCHOLARSHIP/STUDENT LOANS
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 06/01/2026
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 05/31/2028

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Dual Control of Feeding and Singing in the Songbird Motor System - Project Summary A fundamental question in neuroscience is how complex movements are learned and produced to complete specific tasks. Motor skills are acquired and maintained through sensorimotor learning, a process through which motor output is modified in response to sensory feedback[1]. Many skilled behaviors, including speech, object manipulation, and tool-use, consist of distinct phases that can be adaptively re-ordered in real-time based on sensory feedback[2]. The nervous system must selectively coordinate muscle activity to perform multiple flexibly organized behaviors. Many functionally distinct behaviors rely on the same muscles for execution, furthering the need for controlled modulation of motor output. A critical gap exists in understanding how the nervous system coordinates the same muscles to perform distinct, flexibly organized behaviors. The overall objective of this project is to reveal how flexible and sequential movement is controlled and to quantify muscle activity across different movements and behaviors. Aim 1 will identify how patterns of muscle activity drive diverse sequential behaviors. Jaw kinematics and electromyography (EMG) activity from jaw muscles will be compared during phases of singing and eating. Aim 2 will reveal the neural substrates necessary for non-vocal learning. Novel seed-eating will be compared between control and LMAN-lesioned adult male Bengalese finches. Seed ingestion and changes in beak kinematics will be measured. This project will improve our understanding of behavioral representation and learning. Specifically, we will reveal whether specific behaviors require independent motor learning circuits, or a general circuit enables flexible performance of multiple complex behaviors. Insights from this work can inform a broader framework for multifunctional motor control. By identifying the organization of neural circuitry for distinct commands and characterizing the muscle activity underlying these behaviors, we will provide fundamental knowledge to guide rehabilitation strategies for comorbid disorders. The analogous circuitry and learning processes for vocal communication of humans and songbirds lends particular significance to neuromuscular disorders affecting facial muscles. Dysphagia, for example, is often treated with speech therapy, based on the shared musculature involved in speech and eating, but malnutrition and weight loss often persist[29]. A comprehensive understanding of how muscles function across different behaviors will support improvement of therapies aimed at restoring movement abilities. Particularly, if a shared motor program exists for a given muscle or muscle ensemble, a single treatment strategy could be designed to improve both speaking and swallowing.


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: 2026 ( Subtotal = $50,114 )
2026	2026	EMORY UNIVERSITY	201 DOWMAN DR NE	ATLANTA	GA	30322	DEKALB	USA	Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders	001	1	5/12/2026	NEW	$0
2026	2026	EMORY UNIVERSITY	201 DOWMAN DR NE	ATLANTA	GA	30322	DEKALB	USA	Extramural Research Programs in the Neurosciences and Neurological Disorders	000	1	5/12/2026	NEW	$50,114
														Subtotal = $50,114

Grand Total All Awards = $50,114

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Dual Control of Feeding and Singing in the Songbird Motor System

Award Number: F31NS149523

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS AND STROKE

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: FELLOWSHIP/SCHOLARSHIP/STUDENT LOANS

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 06/01/2026

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 05/31/2028

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