Dopaminergic regulation of vocal-motor plasticity and performance

Dopaminergic projections to the basal ganglia and nucleus accumbens shape the learning and plasticity of motivated behaviors across species. In songbirds, vocal learning relies on an evolutionarily specialized basal ganglia nucleus, Area X, densely innervated by dopaminergic inputs from the ventral tegmental area (VTA). While this positions songbirds as a unique model in which to tease apart the contributions of VTA dopamine neurons to vocal learning and performance, that potential has been largely underrealized. Recent breakthroughs recording from and manipulating activity of Area X projecting VTA neurons (VTAx) provide early evidence of the role of VTAx neurons to internally-guided vocal plasticity. We discuss these novel studies in the context of previous data implicating dopamine in Area X in the social modulation of song performance and how to reconcile effects on learning versus performance.