A data-driven approach to identify the neural and cognitive basis of social functioning in health and first episode psychosis

项目摘要/摘要：该奖学金的研究和培训计划将为申请者提供 认知神经科学、高级计算方法和 神经影像分析支持她成为一名独立研究人员的长期职业目标 促进精神分裂症患者的功能恢复。精神分裂症的一个核心特征是严重的社会残疾 这给个人和社会带来了沉重的负担。为社会发展提供有效的治疗 功能缺陷由于缺乏明确的神经和认知治疗目标而受到阻碍。近期 研究进展表明，前额叶和扣带回皮质的丢失可能与慢性阻塞性肺疾病患者的功能低下有关 精神分裂症患者首发时特定神经靶点与社会功能的关系 精神病(FEP)，当个体可能有更强的能力进行实质性恢复时，主要是 未知。此外，社会认知缺陷与功能不良密切相关，但两者之间的关系 社会认知脑区和社会功能的皮质丧失仍有待确定。目的 这项研究是使用数据驱动的方法来识别社会的神经和社会认知标记物 在健康和FEP中发挥作用，以告知治疗目标的识别。这个横截面的，次要的 分析利用了两个独特的数据集-来自Human Connectome的健康年轻人的大样本 项目(n=1113)和参加加州大学正在进行的临床试验的FEP参与者的样本 明尼苏达州(n=40)。具体目标1-检查灰质体积和皮质之间的关系 使用数据驱动方法的健康年轻人的厚度、社会认知和社会功能-意志 回答两个研究问题：1)健康年轻人的哪些大脑区域能更好地评估社交功能 成年人，使用基于回归的机器学习分析？和1b)是社会与社会的关系 社会认知调节的灰质体积和皮质厚度的功能和测量？我们会 然后将这些发现转化为目标2中的FEP样本-表征灰质之间的关系 FEP的体积、皮质厚度和社会功能。这项研究将由申请者的 全面的培训计划，她的跨学科指导团队，以及理想的培训环境 复杂的神经成像和健康信息学资源。这项研究有望推动我们的 了解大脑、社会认知和社会功能之间的复杂关系， 可以导致对精神分裂症功能缺陷的更有针对性的干预，减轻痛苦和 满足关键的公共卫生需求。培训将使申请者能够继续她的职业生涯 在翻译认知神经科学领域独立工作，通过 神经科学知情干预措施的发展。

Project Summary/Abstract: The research and training plan for this Fellowship will provide the applicant with significant and foundational training in cognitive neuroscience, advanced computational approaches and neuroimaging analysis to support her long-term career goal of becoming an independent researcher dedicated to enhancing functional recovery in schizophrenia. A core feature of schizophrenia is severe disability in social functioning, which places a high burden on individuals and society. Effective treatment development for social functioning deficits is hindered by the lack of well-defined neural and cognitive treatment targets. Recent advances suggest cortical loss in prefrontal and cingulate cortices may be linked to poor functioning in chronic schizophrenia, however the relationship between specific neural targets and social functioning in first episode psychosis (FEP), when individuals may have greater ability to engage in substantial recovery, is largely unknown. Further, social cognition deficits are strongly linked to poor functioning, but the relationship between cortical loss in social cognitive brain regions and social functioning remains to be established. The purpose of this study is to employ data-driven approaches to identify neural and social cognitive markers of social functioning in health and FEP to inform treatment target identification. This cross-sectional, secondary analysis leverages two unique datasets – a large sample of healthy young adults from the Human Connectome Project (n=1113), and a sample of FEP participants enrolled in an ongoing clinical trial at the University of Minnesota (n=40). Specific Aim 1 - examine the relationships between gray matter volume and cortical thickness, social cognition and social functioning in healthy young adults using data driven approaches - will answer two research questions: 1a) what brain regions estimate better social functioning in healthy young adults, using regression-based machine learning analysis? and 1b) Is the relationship between social functioning and measures of gray matter volume and cortical thickness mediated by social cognition? We will then translate these findings to an FEP sample in Aim 2 - characterize the relationship between gray matter volume and cortical thickness and social functioning in FEP. This research will be supported by the applicant’s comprehensive training plan, her interdisciplinary mentoring team, and an ideal training environment due to its sophisticated neuroimaging and health informatics resources. This research is expected to advance our understanding of the complex relationships between the brain, social cognition and social functioning, which could lead to more targeted interventions for functional deficits in schizophrenia, alleviating suffering and addressing a critical public health need. The training will position the applicant to continue her trajectory to an independent career in translational cognitive neuroscience to enhance functional recovery through the development of neuroscience-informed interventions.