American University of Beirut
(AUB)
Faculty of Engineering and Architecture
(FEA)
Department of Electrical Engineering
Biomedical Engineering Seminar
(EECE 401)
Prof. Nassir Hussni Sabah
Assignment 1
Seminar on Birdsong
Waddah Malaeb
Mechanical Engineering
201204320
wam13@mail.aub.edu
1. Describe the neuronal pathway involved in vocalization of bird song.
In the above figure shown, in blue is the vocal motor output pathway, where the signal begins in the HVc (High vocal center) which is a nucleus in the brain of songbirds necessary for both the learning and the production of the bird songs. The HVC send a signal in two directions, one to the area X in the brain which is similar to the Basal Ganglia in human, the other signal goes …show more content…
Describe briefly the experimental techniques used in the investigation on bird song.
The experimental techniques used in the investigation on bird song are:
a. In vitro experimental setup: where a brain slice is cut, the neuron connecting the HVc with the area X (Basal Ganglia) is detected, we inject around 400 nL of Rhodamine in the axon's terminal in the basal ganglia and we measure the signal in the cortex (the HVc) at the dendrites of the neuron. in this experiment a constant frequency and intensity signal is obtained in the HVc interneuron, it results in also a constant signal in the Basal Ganglia, and specific signal in the RA. when giving a signal of different intensity or frequency in the HVc, a different signal is obtained in the RA. however, signals are similar to different birds. This type of experiments doesn't give us the desired output since there are other neurons in the brain that acts all together in the order in a specific way to give us the bird song.
b. In vivo experimental setup:
In order to know how the basal ganglia projecting cortical neurons operate in vivo, a miniature micro-drive is manufactured for in vivo recording, this micro-drive is connected directly to the brain of the bird, after the removal of the head bone and the surface layer of the brain, and the HVc neurons' responses is recorded during song in the cortex (HVc) and the area X (Basal …show more content…
It is also known as the conductance-based model. It is a continuous time model that treats each component of an excitable cell as an electrical element.
The aim of this model in our case is to show if the bird song is due to a genetic or a learning effect. To do so, we used the model to calculate the Na+, Ca2+ dependent K+ conductance, and compare the results between different sibling sets of birds, so that if the conductance of the Na+ and the Ca2+ dependent K+ conductance in siblings are near each other, then we would conclude that the result is genetic, while if the conductance of the Na+ and the Ca2+ dependent K+ conductance in unrelated birds are near each other, then we would conclude that the result is due to learning effect.
The results of this method resulted in some results of siblings that are equal which means that bird song is a genetic effect, and other neurons conductance are scattered what means that they are due to a learning effect not just genetic. thus, we conclude from the Hodgkin-Huxley model that the bird song is due to a genetic and a learning
(AUB)
Faculty of Engineering and Architecture
(FEA)
Department of Electrical Engineering
Biomedical Engineering Seminar
(EECE 401)
Prof. Nassir Hussni Sabah
Assignment 1
Seminar on Birdsong
Waddah Malaeb
Mechanical Engineering
201204320
wam13@mail.aub.edu
1. Describe the neuronal pathway involved in vocalization of bird song.
In the above figure shown, in blue is the vocal motor output pathway, where the signal begins in the HVc (High vocal center) which is a nucleus in the brain of songbirds necessary for both the learning and the production of the bird songs. The HVC send a signal in two directions, one to the area X in the brain which is similar to the Basal Ganglia in human, the other signal goes …show more content…
Describe briefly the experimental techniques used in the investigation on bird song.
The experimental techniques used in the investigation on bird song are:
a. In vitro experimental setup: where a brain slice is cut, the neuron connecting the HVc with the area X (Basal Ganglia) is detected, we inject around 400 nL of Rhodamine in the axon's terminal in the basal ganglia and we measure the signal in the cortex (the HVc) at the dendrites of the neuron. in this experiment a constant frequency and intensity signal is obtained in the HVc interneuron, it results in also a constant signal in the Basal Ganglia, and specific signal in the RA. when giving a signal of different intensity or frequency in the HVc, a different signal is obtained in the RA. however, signals are similar to different birds. This type of experiments doesn't give us the desired output since there are other neurons in the brain that acts all together in the order in a specific way to give us the bird song.
b. In vivo experimental setup:
In order to know how the basal ganglia projecting cortical neurons operate in vivo, a miniature micro-drive is manufactured for in vivo recording, this micro-drive is connected directly to the brain of the bird, after the removal of the head bone and the surface layer of the brain, and the HVc neurons' responses is recorded during song in the cortex (HVc) and the area X (Basal …show more content…
It is also known as the conductance-based model. It is a continuous time model that treats each component of an excitable cell as an electrical element.
The aim of this model in our case is to show if the bird song is due to a genetic or a learning effect. To do so, we used the model to calculate the Na+, Ca2+ dependent K+ conductance, and compare the results between different sibling sets of birds, so that if the conductance of the Na+ and the Ca2+ dependent K+ conductance in siblings are near each other, then we would conclude that the result is genetic, while if the conductance of the Na+ and the Ca2+ dependent K+ conductance in unrelated birds are near each other, then we would conclude that the result is due to learning effect.
The results of this method resulted in some results of siblings that are equal which means that bird song is a genetic effect, and other neurons conductance are scattered what means that they are due to a learning effect not just genetic. thus, we conclude from the Hodgkin-Huxley model that the bird song is due to a genetic and a learning