Genesis of mirror neurons: Learning and development in the songbird vocal-auditory system

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26240019
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (A)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Cognitive science
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: OKANOYA Kazuo 東京大学, 大学院総合文化研究科, 教授 (30211121)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 和多 和宏 北海道大学, 理学(系)研究科(研究院), 准教授 (70451408) ; 池渕 万季 国立研究開発法人理化学研究所, その他部局等, 研究員 (20398994)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: ジュウシマツ / 鳴禽類 / 歌学習 / ミラーニューロン / エピジェネティクス / 電気生理学 / 発達 / 感覚運動学習

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Imitative learning involves observation and execution. Mirror neurons are suggested to be utilized in this process. These neurons fire both during observation and during excution of a particular behavior. Mirror neurons are identified in songbirds but how they are formed is not known. We found that in the high vocal center of Bengalese finches, about 25% of those neurons that project to the basal ganglia are mirror neurons showing selectivity for specific song notes both during listening and during singing. We further examined reasons why not all neurons projecting from the high vocal center to the basal ganglia are mirror neurons. We inhibited factors involved in the gene expression during development and found that the manipulation disrupted normal song development. Results suggest that during the genesis of mirror neurons, epigenetics plays an important role.

Free Research Field

生物心理学