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Wesleyan Researcher's Bird Brain Discovery May Aid Human Memory Loss
John Kirn, a neuroscientist at the Middletown university, published a study in the May issue of the Journal of Neuroscience about the zebra finch's ability to create new neurons to bolster its ability to remember songs.
A scientific study co-authored by a neuroscientist of zebra finch brains could provide insight into neurodegenerative illnesses in humans such as Huntington's, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, according to a story published in the Hartford Courant.
"The Zebra Finch Paradox: Song Is Little Changed, But Number of Neurons Doubles" was published in the Jan. 18 issue of The Journal of Neuroscience by Clare Walton, Eben Pariser and Fernando Nottebohm, with help from John Kirn of Wesleyan.
On July 2, WNPR public radio aired "Helping to Heal with Songbirds" by Lauren Rubenstein, in which Kirn, professor of biology, professor and chair of neuroscience and behavior, discussed his research into the neuroscience behind song learning and production in zebra finches, according to Wesleyan University.
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