NCS-FO A transformative approach for mapping spatial and temporal dynamics of anterior cingulate function in humans

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This project aims to combine information and methods from neuroscience and biomedical engineering to map brain circuits that underlie human cognition, emotion, and decision making. Research has shown that these circuits are compartmentalized into specific anatomical regions, which give rise to characteristic brain activity patterns and behavioral responses to stimuli. Advanced imaging methods have been developed to passively localize functional brain anatomy; however, methods are lacking that allow for non-invasive mapping at similarly high resolutions by actively modulating human brain activity. Such methods are needed to inform the development of advanced medical treatments for cognitive and mental health disorders, and to advance next-generation brain-computer interface technologies. Therefore, this project has been designed to achieve three major goals: 1) advance state-of-the-art, functional human brain mapping and brain-computer interface methods, 2) increase the detail of information regarding circuit mechanisms that give rise to human cognition and emotion, and 3) demonstrate potential new approaches to treating brain disorders and injuries. Insights gained from this project can lead to important new insights into the mechanisms by which human deep-brain activity gives rise to cognitive-emotional behaviors, such as social thought processes, impulsivity, and affect. To achieve these goals, low-power ultrasound will be pulsed and focused across the skull of human participants into specific anatomical brain regions using image-guided methods to modulate local activity at high spatial resolutions while: 1) recording learning and decision-making outcomes under different behavioral reward and emotional conditions; 2) recording changes in electrical brain activity; and 3) recording changes in the anatomical distribution and concentration of neurotransmitter metabolites. Results from analyses of these data will provide new, high-resolution information regarding how different brain regions cooperate to account for learning and emotion during decision making. The project includes the creation of a national Focused Ultrasound Science and Education program to broaden participation, expand training opportunities, improve education, and cultivate knowledge in neuroscience, engineering, and medicine. Data collected, analytical reports produced, and methods developed in this project will be made publicly available in the Focused Ultrasound Science and Education data repository.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.