CAREER: Perceptual and Neural Analysis of Biological Motion

职业：生物运动的感知和神经分析

• 批准号: 0748314
• 负责人: Emily Grossman
• 金额: $ 51.13万
• 依托单位: University of California-Irvine
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2008
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2008-09-15 至 2014-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0748314&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: CAREER; Perceptual; Neural; Analysis; Biological

Humans are remarkably adept at recognizing the actions of others, even based on movement patterns alone. This ability is most dramatically shown by "point-light biological motion" animations, in which just a few dots are visible, placed at joints or other critical places. It is often easy to recognize which action is being performed, what the actor's emotional state is, and even who the person is. Although we know this information is available, little is known as to how it is perceived. This is particularly interesting because visual motion and form cues are assumed to be processed in parallel and independent streams, yet these two types of information have to be combined for point-light displays to be meaningful. Neuroimaging studies in humans have further linked biological motion perception to a regions of the brain called the superior temporal sulcus, which seems to be involved in many complex processes including social perception. With the support of the National Science Foundation, Dr. Emily Grossman at the University of California Irvine will investigate the perceptual means for the recognition of biological motion, and the brain systems involved. The perception tests will use a novel behavioral technique in which perceivers make yes/no decisions about biological motion animations viewed on a computer screen. The brain work will use functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) to test specific hypotheses of the combination of form and motion cues in biological motion perception. These experiments will also measure the tuning properties of brain regions supporting biological motion perception, something that has already been achieved in monkeys but not yet in humans.Theories of biological motion draw from a number of scientific domains, including research in visual perception, social perception, action understanding and motor imitation (the "mirror neuron" system). Results from the present project will influence thinking in all of these domains. The work in this proposal also involves hands-on research experience for undergraduate and graduate students, including the design and analysis of neuroimaging studies. Because UC Irvine and Dr. Grossman's laboratory both have a historical record of recruiting an ethnically diverse student population, these projects provide the opportunity to promote science among under-represented minorities. Finally, as part of the pedagogical activities in this CAREER proposal, this project will support the development of a new Neuroimaging Laboratory course in which students are trained in the practical skills necessary for brain imaging data analysis, a skill highly desirable in the upcoming cohort of cognitive neuroscientists.

人类非常善于识别他人的行为，即使仅根据运动模式也是如此。这种能力在“点-光生物运动”动画中表现得最为戏剧性，在动画中，关节或其他关键部位只有几个点可见。通常很容易识别正在执行的是哪个动作，演员的情绪状态是什么，甚至是这个人是谁。尽管我们知道这些信息是可以获得的，但我们对它是如何感知的知之甚少。这一点特别有趣，因为视觉运动和形状提示被假定是以并行和独立的流处理的，然而这两种类型的信息必须组合在一起才能使点光源显示有意义。人类的神经成像研究进一步将生物运动知觉与大脑上颞沟区域联系起来，该区域似乎参与了包括社会知觉在内的许多复杂过程。在国家科学基金会的支持下，加州大学欧文分校的艾米丽·格罗斯曼博士将研究识别生物运动的感知方法，以及涉及的大脑系统。感知测试将使用一种新的行为技术，在这种技术中，感知者对在计算机屏幕上观看的生物运动动画做出是/否的决定。这项大脑工作将使用功能磁共振成像(FMRI)来测试生物运动感知中形式和运动线索组合的特定假设。这些实验还将测量支持生物运动感知的大脑区域的调节特性，这一点已经在猴子身上实现，但在人类身上还没有实现。生物运动理论来自许多科学领域，包括视觉感知、社会感知、动作理解和运动模仿(镜像神经元系统)的研究。本项目的结果将影响所有这些领域的思考。这项提案中的工作还包括本科生和研究生的实践研究经验，包括神经成像研究的设计和分析。由于加州大学欧文分校和格罗斯曼博士的实验室都有招收不同种族学生的历史记录，这些项目提供了在代表性不足的少数族裔中推广科学的机会。最后，作为这份职业提案中的教学活动的一部分，该项目将支持开发一门新的神经成像实验室课程，在该课程中，学生们将接受脑成像数据分析所需的实用技能培训，这是即将到来的认知神经科学家队列中非常可取的技能。