The Role of Oxytocin Receptors in Song Learning in Zebra Finches Open Access

Abstract

In humans, speech development is a highly social process that requires attention towards and motivation to engage with caregivers. Zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) share this necessity of social engagement when learning song from adult male tutors. The oxytocin system has been shown to play a central role in social behaviors across species, yet it is unknown whether this system is involved in the attentional and motivational processes that support vocal learning. We tested whether manipulating oxytocin receptor availability during exposure to tutors would impact learning from those tutors. We found a nearly significant trend (of large effect) for juveniles to copy the song of a tutor that was heard during saline (control) treatment more accurately than the song of the tutor that was heard during oxytocin receptor antagonist (OVTA) treatment. We also found that OVTA treatment significantly altered behavior during tutoring sessions. For example, OVTA treatment reduced the frequency with which juveniles engaged in beak swipes at the cage wall closest to the tutor, a behavior that could indicate approach behavior. OVTA also reduced the time the juvenile spent preening, a behavior that, when it occurs during tutoring, had previously been shown to be associated with song learning. Interestingly, we found that tutors sang significantly less to OVTA-treated juveniles, suggesting that tutors are sensitive to OVTA-dependent changes in juveniles. Together these results suggest that oxytocin receptors play a role in socially-guided vocal learning in juvenile zebra finches, perhaps through effects on attention and motivation during tutoring.

Table of Contents

Introduction....................................................................................................................................1 Methods...........................................................................................................................................6

Animals............................................................................................................................................6

Recording Song................................................................................................................................6

Selection of Tutors...........................................................................................................................7

Tutoring...........................................................................................................................................7

Behavioral Observation and Quantification....................................................................................9 

Song Segmentation and Spectral Analysis.....................................................................................11 

Statistical Analysis.........................................................................................................................11

Results...........................................................................................................................................12 Discussion.....................................................................................................................................13 References.....................................................................................................................................19 Figures….......................................................................................................................................29

About this Honors Thesis

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School	Emory College
Department	Psychology
Degree	B.A.
Submission	Honors Thesis
Language	English
Research Field	Psychology, Developmental Psychology, Behavioral Sciences
Keyword	Zebra finch Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Nonapeptides Social Attention Oxytocin Receptor Vocal Development
Committee Chair / Thesis Advisor	Donna L. Maney, Emory University
Committee Members	Kristin Wendland, Emory University Jocelyne Bachevalier, Emory University

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