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Neural coding and perception of learned vocalizations

Award Number: R56DC009810
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON DEAFNESS AND OTHER COMMUNICATION DISORDERS
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 03/01/2010
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 07/31/2025

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Neural coding and perception of learned vocalizations - Project Summary Hearing and voice are the principal instruments of human communication. Early auditory experience of speech organizes perception around native language(s) sounds for life. This early specialization of auditory processing facilitates language development and predicts adult proficiency. While the acoustic features of speech sounds differ across languages, the temporal structure of speech is constrained and hierarchical in all languages. An important goal in the pursuit to understand how we acquire and use speech and what goes wrong when we can’t use speech is determining how auditory encoding on multiple time scales relates to vocal communication structure, vocal learning and perception. We propose to integrate manipulations in vocal learning with precise measures of cortical auditory encoding and perceptual skills to determine the encoding properties that promote flexible learning of syllable structure and constrain the temporal organization of syllables (syntax), in songbirds. The proposed experiments will identify neural mechanisms whereby vocal communication behavior is both learned and genetically-determined. The significance of the proposed research to the NIH mission is three-fold. First, this work will identify auditory encoding capacities that support vocal learning. Second, the work will test the limits of vocal learning to identify neural and perceptual mechanisms that impose structure on the acoustic features and temporal organization of vocal communication behavior. Third, our results will provide insights into how manipulations of experience and training can improve the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of speech deficits such as those observed in children with auditory spectrum disorders.


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 = $0 )
2026	2024	THE TRUSTEES OF COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY IN THE CITY OF NEW YORK	615 W 131ST ST	NEW YORK	NY	10027	NEW YORK	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	000	12	12/29/2025	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$0
														Subtotal = $0

Issue Date FY: 2024 ( Subtotal = $507,676 )
2024	2024	THE TRUSTEES OF COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY IN THE CITY OF NEW YORK	615 W 131ST ST	NEW YORK	NY	10027	NEW YORK	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	000	12	7/18/2024	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$507,676
														Subtotal = $507,676

Issue Date FY: 2023 ( Subtotal = $590,424 )
2023	2023	TRUSTEES OF COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY IN THE CITY OF NEW YORK, THE	202 LOW LIBRARY 535 W 116 ST MC 4309,	NEW YORK	NY	10027	NEW YORK	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	001	11	8/4/2023	COMPETING CONTINUATION	$0
2023	2023	TRUSTEES OF COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY IN THE CITY OF NEW YORK, THE	202 LOW LIBRARY 535 W 116 ST MC 4309,	NEW YORK	NY	10027	NEW YORK	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	000	11	7/28/2023	COMPETING CONTINUATION	$590,424
														Subtotal = $590,424

Grand Total All Awards = $1,098,100

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Neural coding and perception of learned vocalizations

Award Number: R56DC009810

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON DEAFNESS AND OTHER COMMUNICATION DISORDERS

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 03/01/2010

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 07/31/2025

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