Collaborative Research: Identifying a Neural Basis for Other-Oriented Decisions

协作研究：确定面向他人的决策的神经基础

• 批准号: 2139925
• 负责人: Abigail Marsh
• 金额: $ 75万
• 依托单位: Georgetown University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2022-09-01 至 2025-08-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2139925&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; Identifying; Neural; Basis

Abstract - Identifying a neural basis for other-oriented decisions2139925Abigail A. MarshGeorgetown UniversityHow do the seeds of altruism sprout and flourish in a seemingly selfish world? The goal of this research project is to identify pathways in the brain that support altruism, both in the laboratory and in the real world. Altruistic behaviors are those aimed at improving the welfare of others, without regard for any individual benefits. They range from holding open a door, to making charitable gifts, to donating a kidney. Surveys suggest that many people believe humans are fundamentally selfish and incapable of true altruism. Such beliefs reduce trust between people, can harm the well-being of the people who hold them, and damage the social fabric of a community. However, several contrary lines of evidence suggest that altruism is ubiquitous and deeply rooted in our biology. One is the existence of real-world extraordinary altruists, such as kidney donors who donate kidneys to benefit anonymous strangers. In addition, a brain circuit has recently been discovered in animals that is dedicated to calculating the value of choices for others. This research project aims to test the hypothesis that a comparable brain circuit exists in humans, and that activity in this circuit may help explain altruistic choices in the laboratory, as well as real-world altruistic behavior. This project has strong outreach and plans for dissemination of scientific findings to the public and the media. The researchers provide neuroscience research experiences and mentoring for students from underrepresented backgrounds and support their aspirations for STEM careers. The project encourages community altruism, including organ donation through the National Marrow Donor Program. To understand the neural mechanisms underlying altruism, the researchers combine behavioral studies and whole brain neuroimaging (using fMRI – functional magnetic resonance imaging) in a wide and diverse set of participants, ranging along the “caring continuum” from altruistic kidney donors to typical adults, to adults who exhibit antisocial, selfish real-world behaviors. Surveys of life experiences are collected to identify formative, developmental events that may shape later altruistic behavior. The variety of subjects in the study enable the researchers to search for differences in patterns of brain activity in altruists compared to antisocial and selfish adults. Neuroimaging measures activity in the hypothesized corticolimbic brain circuit (that includes the amygdala and the anterior cingulate cortex) and in the rest of the brain. To discover whether altruism can be enhanced, researchers test whether two brief laboratory interventions can increase altruistic behavior in typical adults. These interventions are combined with functional brain imaging so that the neural mechanisms by which these interventions shape altruistic behavior can be identified. Researchers also collect blood samples from all study participants to indirectly measure how variations in the activity of the neurohormone oxytocin correspond to real-world and laboratory altruism. Oxytocin is a neurohormone that has been associated with trust and prosocial behavior, but its effects have not yet been measured in real-world altruists, nor previously correlated with brain activation in the circuit under investigation. This research promises to improve understanding of the ancient neural circuits underlying generosity and altruism, and challenge misconceptions about the human capacity for altruism.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.

摘要-识别他人导向决策的神经基础阿比盖尔·a·马歇尔乔治城大学利他主义的种子是如何在一个看似自私的世界中发芽并蓬勃发展的？这个研究项目的目标是在实验室和现实世界中，找出大脑中支持利他主义的通路。利他行为是指那些旨在提高他人福利而不考虑任何个人利益的行为。从开门，到慈善捐赠，再到捐赠肾脏，不一而足。调查显示，许多人认为人类从根本上是自私的，不能真正的利他主义。这样的信念会减少人与人之间的信任，损害持有这些信念的人的福祉，并破坏一个社区的社会结构。然而，一些相反的证据表明，利他主义无处不在，并深深植根于我们的生物学。一是现实世界中存在着非凡的利他主义者，比如捐肾者，他们将肾脏捐赠给匿名的陌生人。此外，最近在动物的大脑中发现了一个回路，专门用于计算其他动物选择的价值。这个研究项目的目的是测试一个假设，即人类大脑中存在一个类似的回路，这个回路的活动可能有助于解释实验室中的利他选择，以及现实世界中的利他行为。该项目在向公众和媒体传播科学发现方面有强有力的外联和计划。研究人员为来自代表性不足背景的学生提供神经科学研究经验和指导，并支持他们对STEM职业的渴望。该项目鼓励社区利他主义，包括通过国家骨髓捐赠计划进行器官捐赠。为了了解利他行为背后的神经机制，研究人员将行为研究和全脑神经成像（使用fMRI -功能性磁共振成像）结合起来，对广泛而多样化的参与者进行了研究，从无私的肾脏捐赠者到典型的成年人，再到表现出反社会、自私的现实世界行为的成年人，这些参与者都是“关爱连续体”。收集生活经历的调查，以确定可能塑造后来利他行为的形成性、发展性事件。研究对象的多样性使研究人员能够寻找利他主义者与反社会和自私的成年人相比大脑活动模式的差异。神经成像测量假设的皮质边缘脑回路（包括杏仁核和前扣带皮层）和大脑其他部分的活动。为了发现利他行为是否可以增强，研究人员测试了两个简短的实验室干预是否可以增加典型成年人的利他行为。这些干预与功能性脑成像相结合，从而确定这些干预塑造利他行为的神经机制。研究人员还收集了所有研究参与者的血液样本，以间接测量神经激素催产素活动的变化如何与现实世界和实验室的利他主义相对应。催产素是一种与信任和亲社会行为有关的神经激素，但它的影响还没有在现实世界的利他主义者身上被测量出来，也没有在之前被研究的回路中与大脑活动联系起来。这项研究有望提高对慷慨和利他行为背后的古老神经回路的理解，并挑战对人类利他能力的误解。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。