Neural Mechanisms in Learned Multitasking Improvements

学习性多任务改进的神经机制

• 批准号: 1829473
• 负责人: Theodore Zanto
• 金额: $ 40.23万
• 依托单位: University of California-San Francisco
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2018
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2018-09-01 至 2021-05-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1829473&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Neural; Mechanisms; Learned; Multitasking; Improvements

The overall aim of this project is to understand how the brain enables learned improvements in multitasking ability. Multitasking is a complex cognitive process that is prevalent in everyday life, from texting while walking to driving while reading a street sign. It is well established that during multitasking, both tasks are associated with performance declines, as compared to when the tasks are independently performed. Fortunately, through practice and learning, multitasking costs may be reduced. Yet, how the brain enables us to enhance multitasking performance remains elusive. This project investigates these questions by studying whether training can improve multitasking performance, as well as the changes in brain responses that accompany such improvement. It will also use interventions that impact brain activity and that may themselves produce multitasking improvement. The importance of the current project is in advancing the limited scientific knowledge in this domain, and in enabling multiple activities and outcomes that will be relevant to society more broadly. Apart from the scientific work, this project will offer several volunteer opportunities for high school and college students. For all these positions, women, persons with disabilities and minorities in STEM education will be highly encouraged to apply. Second, the knowledge generated by this research will be disseminated to the public through open-source publications, public lectures, and media outlets. These findings will enhance our understanding of multitasking ability, and developing therapeutics to target populations who suffer from this cognitive decline or learning disorders. The overall aim of this project is to address the hypothesis that regions within prefrontal cortex rely on theta band (4-7 Hz) oscillations to enhance and optimize multitasking ability. To achieve this, transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) will be applied in the theta band above prefrontal cortex while participants are engaged in multitasking: visual discrimination with a concurrent visuomotor tracking task. Transcranial stimulation will be applied on three consecutive days while participants are engaged in multitasking. Participants will be assessed one day and one month after tACS to assess whether theta stimulation above the prefrontal cortex facilitates learned improvements in multitasking. Additionally, electroencephalography (EEG) data will be used to assess changes in oscillatory activity that supports learned multitasking improvements. It is hypothesized that tACS stimulations that impact theta oscillations will be particularly effective in improving multitasking performance, potentially impacting frontal theta EEG oscillatory power. To evaluate whether these learned multitasking improvements arise from alterations within the prefrontal cortex, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data will be collected from each participant and used to form individualized models of the tACS-induced electric fields in the brain. It is hypothesized that due to anatomical differences that impede tACS current flow to the brain, participants with greater modeled electric fields in the medial prefrontal cortex will exhibit the greatest increases in prefrontal theta oscillations and the largest improvements in multitasking ability. The proposed research will provide a direct assessment of mechanisms by which brain networks give rise to learned improvements in multitasking ability.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

该项目的总体目标是了解大脑如何通过学习提高多任务处理能力。多任务处理是日常生活中普遍存在的复杂认知过程，从走路时发短信到开车时阅读路标。众所周知，与独立执行任务时相比，在多任务处理期间，这两项任务都会导致性能下降。幸运的是，通过实践和学习，多任务处理的成本可能会降低。然而，大脑如何帮助我们提高多任务处理能力仍然是个谜。该项目通过研究训练是否可以提高多任务处理能力，以及伴随这种改进的大脑反应的变化来调查这些问题。它还将使用影响大脑活动的干预措施，这些干预措施本身可能会改善多任务处理。当前项目的重要性在于推进该领域有限的科学知识，并实现与更广泛的社会相关的多项活动和成果。除了科学工作外，该项目还将为高中生和大学生提供一些志愿者机会。对于所有这些职位，我们将大力鼓励 STEM 教育领域的女性、残疾人和少数族裔申请。其次，这项研究产生的知识将通过开源出版物、公开讲座和媒体传播给公众。这些发现将增强我们对多任务处理能力的理解，并针对患有这种认知衰退或学习障碍的人群开发治疗方法。 该项目的总体目标是解决这样的假设：前额皮质内的区域依赖 θ 带（4-7 Hz）振荡来增强和优化多任务处理能力。为了实现这一目标，当参与者进行多任务处理时，经颅交流电刺激（tACS）将应用于前额皮质上方的θ带：视觉辨别与并发视觉运动跟踪任务。当参与者同时处理多项任务时，将连续三天进行经颅刺激。参与者将在 tACS 一天和一个月后接受评估，以评估前额皮质上方的 θ 刺激是否有助于多任务处理的习得性改进。此外，脑电图 (EEG) 数据将用于评估振荡活动的变化，以支持学习的多任务处理改进。据推测，影响 θ 振荡的 tACS 刺激对于改善多任务处理性能特别有效，可能会影响额叶 θ 脑电图振荡功率。为了评估这些习得的多任务处理改善是否源于前额叶皮层内的改变，将从每个参与者收集磁共振成像 (MRI) 数据，并用于形成 tACS 引起的大脑电场的个性化模型。据推测，由于阻碍 tACS 电流流向大脑的解剖学差异，内侧前额叶皮层建模电场较大的参与者将表现出前额叶 θ 振荡的最大增加以及多任务处理能力的最大改善。拟议的研究将对大脑网络在多任务处理能力方面产生学习性改进的机制进行直接评估。该奖项反映了 NSF 的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。