Experience- and sex-dependent intrinsic plasticity in the zebra finch auditory cortex during song memorization

Abstract

Early auditory experience is critical to the development of vocal communication. Zebra finches and other songbirds have a sensitive period when young birds memorize a song to use as a model for vocal production. We found that intrinsic spiking dynamics change dramatically during this period in the caudal mesopallium, a cortical-level auditory area. Specifically, the proportion of neurons that only fire transiently at the onset of intracellular current injections increases, along with Kv1.1, a channel that facilitates transient spiking. Plasticity is greater in males and requires exposure to a complex, noisy environment. These observations indicate that intrinsic dynamics are modulated in response to the acoustic environment to support robust auditory processing during a critical phase of vocal learning.