Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Device for Brain Imaging

在情感神经科学领域购买近红外光谱设备（NIRS）：临床心理生理学实验室在实验精神病理学中使用生物学方法。外围心理生理学和皮层电测量设备的全面装备阵列可供我们使用。现在，现有的实验室基础设施将补充一个近红外光谱装置（NIRS）。近红外光谱是一种现代脑成像技术，它利用了这样一个事实，即某些频率的光可以穿透生物组织（头骨），并以一种非常特殊的方式被氧合血红蛋白反射。由此产生的信号可以对皮层区域的功能激活进行成像。与其他成像技术相比，该设备更便宜，维护成本更低，使用更方便，无创性，在实验范例中更灵活。特别是，近红外光谱是无声的，这是其他成像技术（如功能磁共振成像）的主要优势。申请资金的研究小组已经在其他地方的合作中积累了这项技术的经验，并提出了一份详细的计划，说明如何在未来将外部合作者的能力联系起来，以及他们如何在实验室获得设备的访问权限。拨款提案记录了必要基础设施的存在，描述了科学家的能力，并解释了实验室可用的技术支持。提案中描述了六个项目的选择，这些项目可以建立在先前在实验室建立的范例之上，并且将从包含近红外光谱中受益匪浅。此外，还详细介绍了合作者的其他项目，这些项目有望促进申请人技术专长的大量技术交流。总的来说，这些项目涵盖了基本情感处理和精神病理学的广泛主题。他们证明，该设备将被大量使用，它的使用有望对更好地理解功能性和功能失调情绪处理的神经元相关性做出重大贡献。

Purchase of a near-infrared spectroscopy device (NIRS) in the area of affective neuroscience: The Clinical Psychophysiology Lab uses biological methods within experimental psychopathology. A comprehensively equipped array of devices for peripheral psychophysiology and electrocortical measures is available at our disposal. Now, the existing laboratory infrastructure shall be complemented with a near-infrared spectroscopy device (NIRS). Near-infrared spectroscopy is a modern brain imaging technology which makes use of the fact that certain frequency bands of light can penetrate biological tissue (of the scull) and are reflected in a very specific way by oxygenated hemoglobin. From the resulting signal functional activations of cortical areas can be imaged. Contrary to other imaging techniques, this device is more affordable and maintenance costs are lower, it is more convenient to use, non-invasive and it is more flexible in experimental paradigms. In particular, NIRS is silent, which is a major advantage over other imaging techniques (such as fMRI). The research group that applies for funding has gathered experience with this technology in previous collaborations at other places and presents a detailed plan on how the competencies of external collaborators will be tied-in in the future and how they will gain access to the device at the lab. The grant proposal documents the existence of the necessary infrastructure, describes the scientists’ competencies and explains the technical support which is available at the lab. A selection of six projects is described in the proposal that can build upon previously established paradigms in the lab and which will greatly benefit from the inclusion of NIRS. Moreover, additional projects of the collaborators are detailed which promise to stimulate substantial technological cross-fertilization for the applicants’ technological expertise. Taken together, these projects cover a wide range of themes on basic affective processing and on psychopathology. They demonstrate that the device will be used intensively and that its use promises to be a significant contribution to a better understanding of neuronal correlates of functional and dysfunctional emotion processing.