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"Age-related decline in auditory processing and memory for speech significantly impacts social well-being, contributing to social avoidance, isolation, depression, and anxiety. Despite these comorbidities, animal models for studying this decline have been limited due to the complex nature of human vocal processing. Songbirds, which learn vocalizations through social interaction (similarly to humans), offer a promising alternative model system.
This study introduces an innovative approach that combines electrophysiology. targeted epigenetic manipulation and novel behavioral assessment methods to investigate auditory memory and discrimination in aging zebra finches. We will examine epigenetic manipulation on age-related neural inflammation, neurogenesis, and auditory processing. The project introduces a novel, training-free assessment technique inspired by infant ""looking"" paradigms. We quantify natural head-turning responses using an oddball design that takes advantage of the brain's sensitivity to unexpected stimuli within repetitive sequences. When novel sounds violate expectations, they evoke measurable micro-movements captured through head-mounted accelerometers and machine learning-based pose estimation software.
By bridging neurophysiological mechanisms with behavioral responses, this work will investigate the role of epigenetic mechanisms in modulating inflammation, neurogenesis, and memory during aging. The findings have translational value for developing interventions targeting age-related cognitive decline and its associated comorbidities, with potential applications for assessing audition in human populations unable to reliably self-report, including infants and individuals with cognitive impairment or aphasia."
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