CAREER: Perceptual and Neural Analysis of Biological Motion

人类非常擅长识别他人的行为，甚至仅仅基于运动模式。这种能力在“点光生物运动”动画中得到了最显著的体现，在动画中，只有几个点是可见的，放在关节或其他关键位置。通常很容易识别正在执行的动作，演员的情绪状态，甚至是这个人是谁。虽然我们知道这些信息是可用的，但我们很少知道它是如何被感知的。这是特别有趣的，因为视觉运动和形式线索被认为是在并行和独立的流中处理的，然而这两种类型的信息必须结合起来才能使点光显示有意义。对人类的神经成像研究进一步将生物运动感知与大脑中称为颞上沟的区域联系起来，该区域似乎参与了包括社会感知在内的许多复杂过程。在美国国家科学基金会（National Science Foundation）的支持下，加州大学欧文分校（University of California Irvine）的艾米丽·格罗斯曼（Emily Grossman）博士将研究识别生物运动的感知手段，以及与之相关的大脑系统。感知测试将使用一种新颖的行为技术，在这种技术中，感知者对在电脑屏幕上观看的生物运动动画做出是/否的决定。大脑工作将使用功能性磁共振成像（fMRI）来测试生物运动感知中形式和运动线索结合的特定假设。这些实验还将测量支持生物运动感知的大脑区域的调谐特性，这已经在猴子身上实现了，但还没有在人类身上实现。生物运动理论来源于许多科学领域，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）。本项目的结果将影响所有这些领域的思维。本提案中的工作还涉及本科生和研究生的动手研究经验，包括神经影像学研究的设计和分析。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，这些项目为在代表性不足的少数民族中推广科学提供了机会。最后，作为本CAREER提案教学活动的一部分，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，学生将接受脑成像数据分析所需的实用技能的培训，这是即将到来的认知神经科学家群体非常需要的技能。

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.