In contrast to rodent Parkinsonian models that rely on viral-mediated expression of SNCA in regions such as the substantia nigra and ventral tegmental areas (SN/VTA) [26], which is highly disrupted in PD, we target expression of SNCA to the song-dedicated basal ganglia region Area X. Area X receives input from the SN/VTA, but is easier to target and specifically affects singing, whereas SN/VTA also modulates non-vocal motor behavior (Fig 1). Here, SNCA is linked to Parkinson disease.