Re: What animal model provides the closest match to human vocalization?

[Martin Braun <nombraun@xxxxxxxxx>]

Dear Pete, and others,

perhaps you have picked a problem that probably cannot be solved within the 
foreseeable future (say, 10 years).

If you want to learn from links between mutations and disorders, your 
research will be confined to small, fast breeding animals. The neural 
systems of vocalization in these animals, however, are so much different 
from the human ones that it is unlikely that you will find parallels between 
genetically generated disorders in these animals and lesion generated 
disorders in humans (e.g., caused by stroke).

It looks you would have to collect data from non-human primates and compare 
them with clinical lesion data from humans.

Martin

---------------------------------------------------------------------
Martin Braun
Neuroscience of Music
S-671 95 Klässbol
Sweden
email: nombraun@xxxxxxxxx
web site: http://www.neuroscience-of-music.se/index.htm




----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Pete Howell" <p.howell@xxxxxxxxx>
To: <AUDITORY@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Wednesday, March 02, 2011 3:03 PM
Subject: What animal model provides the closest match to human vocalization?


> Thanks everyone for your replies. I was deliberately vague as I was 
> interested in getting a range of suggestions (btw the goat was really 
> funny). Mutations in mice and zebra finches have been used to model speech 
> disorders where auditory feedback processes are often thought to be 
> implicated. The primary interest is in how CNS connectivity is affected. 
> But people have looked at each of these species' vocalizations after 
> mutation and then drawn parallels with disordered speech. My worry about 
> the animal models is that the vocalization behaviors that have been 
> observed are very different from human speech in both its natural and 
> disordered forms. So, I wondered whether there was an animal model we 
> could start with that vocalized and heard in closer ways to humans than 
> the existing models. Then we could have a good look at the parallels to 
> speech disorders after mutation in a systematic way (whether articulatory 
> coordination is affected, whether they show tonic and clonic features 
> etc.). I'd overlooked the point Stuart made - that I should look for 
> species that vocalize a lot, so ta for that. We only have limited 
> facilities and licenses for animal work, so I am still actively seeking 
> suggestions, so please continue suggestions.
> Peter
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Psychology and Language Sciences
> University College London
> 26 Bedford Way
> London WC1H 0AP
> Direct line: 020 7 679 7566
> Fax 020 7436 4276
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------