Acquisition of Instrumentation for Cognitive Neuroscience Brain Imaging

采购认知神经科学脑成像仪器

• 批准号: 0079579
• 负责人: Randolph Blake
• 金额: $ 23.48万
• 依托单位: Vanderbilt University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2000
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2000-09-01 至 2003-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0079579&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Acquisition; Instrumentation; Cognitive; Neuroscience; Brain

Blake0079579The past decade has witnessed a revolution in methods available for imaging correlates of brain activity and, thereby, for studying possible links between neural events and mental activity in humans. Most prominent among those methods is functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), which is based on detecting and localizing variations in hemodynamic response associated with fluctuations in neural activity during performance of specific cognitive or behavioral tasks (Ogawa et al, 1998). Sophisticated display technologies paired with fMRI can delineate individual "maps" of a sensory surface onto different brain areas (Wandell, 1999), and advances in single event fMRI even make it possible to infer relative timing among the onsets of activity in different brain areas (Menon & Kim, 1999). Building on its recognized strengths in cognitive neuroscience, Vanderbilt University has committed itself to becoming one of the premier research institutions in the world for the study of cognitive function using fMRI, and that commitment is evidenced in several major initiatives: o Establishment of an interdisciplinary Center for Magnetic Resonance Imaging, with major focus on brain imaging. o Purchase of a 3.0 Tesla GE imager devoted exclusively to research, to be housed in specially constructed space optimized for fMRI work. o Expanded research training in cognitive neuroscience, including brain imaging, available through new degree programs at the graduate and undergraduate levels. o Establishment of a university-wide Neuroscience Institute emphasizing interdisciplinary research and education linking bench to bedside, with brain imaging figuring prominently in that mission o Creation of an interdisciplinary group of investigators whose research involves the study of a wide range of basic and clinical problems using MRI.Among those investigators is a group of individuals -- the applicants of this grant -- who use fMRI to study a diverse set of problems falling within the domain of cognitive neuroscience. This group has been created through key hires of new faculty explicitly trained in fMRI research as well as through investments in the career development of faculty already at Vanderbilt. Our work has already led to new insights into brain mechanisms involved in perceiving, attending, thinking and remembering. For our group to realize its potential, we now seek to expand the Center's fMRI facilities to include cutting edge instrumentation that meets needs common to our group. Specifically, this proposal requests funds to purchase: 1. Hardware for generation and presentation of high-fidelity visual and auditory stimuli to subjects engaged in cognitive tasks during fMRI scanning sessions. 2. Instruments for monitoring eye movements and respiration during scan sessions, so that we can correct fMRI signals for artifacts and so we can use eye movements and respiration rate as indirect indices of cognitive function and emotional arousal. 3. Computer workstation and software for analysis and interpretation of fMRI data, with particular emphasis on computational techniques for three-dimensional, volumetric rendering of fMRI data.As detailed in the body of this proposal, faculty associated with this application are studying a variety of problems centered around questions within the domains of: o visual perception o object recognition o categorization o decision making o affective processes o attention o spatial memory o vocal communicationAll investigators listed on this grant are also involved in research training of graduate and undergraduate students in one of Vanderbilt's several programs specializing in cognitive science, clinical science and/or neuroscience. The facilities provided by this grant will be utilized by some of those trainees.

过去十年见证了脑活动相关成像方法的革命，从而研究了人类神经活动和心理活动之间可能存在的联系。这些方法中最突出的是功能性磁共振成像（fMRI），其基础是检测和定位在执行特定认知或行为任务时与神经活动波动相关的血流动力学反应的变化（Ogawa等，1998年）。复杂的显示技术与功能磁共振成像相结合，可以描绘出不同大脑区域的感觉表面的单个“地图”（Wandell, 1999），单事件功能磁共振成像的进步甚至可以推断出不同大脑区域活动开始的相对时间（Menon & Kim, 1999）。基于其在认知神经科学方面公认的优势，范德比尔特大学致力于成为世界上使用功能磁共振成像研究认知功能的主要研究机构之一，这一承诺在几项重大举措中得到了证明：o建立一个跨学科的磁共振成像中心，主要关注脑成像。o购买一台专门用于研究的3.0 Tesla GE成像仪，安装在专门为fMRI工作优化的空间中。o通过研究生和本科生的新学位课程，扩大认知神经科学（包括脑成像）方面的研究培训。o建立一个全校范围的神经科学研究所，强调跨学科的研究和教育，将实验与临床联系起来，脑成像在这一使命中占据突出地位o创建一个跨学科的研究小组，其研究涉及使用MRI研究广泛的基础和临床问题。在这些研究人员中，有一群人——这项资助的申请人——使用功能磁共振成像研究认知神经科学领域内的一系列不同问题。这个团队是通过雇佣在功能磁共振成像研究方面受过明确培训的新教师，以及通过对范德比尔特大学现有教师职业发展的投资而创建的。我们的工作已经让我们对涉及感知、关注、思考和记忆的大脑机制有了新的认识。为了实现我们团队的潜力，我们现在寻求扩大中心的功能磁共振成像设备，包括满足我们团队共同需求的尖端仪器。具体而言，本提案要求资金用于采购：1。在fMRI扫描过程中，为参与认知任务的受试者提供高保真视觉和听觉刺激的硬件。2. 在扫描过程中监测眼球运动和呼吸的仪器，这样我们就可以纠正fMRI信号中的伪影，这样我们就可以用眼球运动和呼吸率作为认知功能和情绪唤醒的间接指标。3. 用于分析和解释功能磁共振成像数据的计算机工作站和软件，特别强调功能磁共振成像数据的三维体积渲染的计算技术。如本提案正文所述，与此申请相关的教师正在研究围绕以下领域的问题的各种问题：从视觉感知到物体识别，从分类到决策，从情感过程到注意力，从空间记忆到声音交流，所有研究人员都参与了范德比尔特大学认知科学，临床科学和/或神经科学专业的研究生和本科生的研究培训。这笔赠款提供的设施将供其中一些受训者使用。