The human amygdala in social processing: circuits, physiology, behavior, and neuromodulation

摘要： 目前提议的目的是使私人投资能够过渡到独立研究 调查员，具有电生理分析技术的专业知识，以检测实时 神经外科手术患者的情绪(情感)系统功能 用于临床目的的深度电极的放置。拟议的培训计划包括 有组织的指导，电生理学的实践培训，教学课程，以及 严谨的研究性研究。拟议的实验利用了高度专业化的 实验地点：杏仁核植入深度电极的人类癫痫患者 -社会和情绪处理的中心-用于医学上的常规癫痫重点监测 难治性癫痫。在这种情况下，我们可以记录局部神经元的活动，也可以应用 为研究目的刺激电流。拟议中的培训 电生理学将使PI能够实时检查杏仁核的功能， 与她在人类神经成像和精神行为方面的现有专业知识相结合 测量，将允许对杏仁核在社交加工中的活动进行彻底的比较 抑郁症患者和非抑郁症患者之间的差异。这个项目检验了一种假设，即 杏仁核在抑郁症患者的社会加工缺陷中起着直接和因果的作用。 在NIMH研究领域标准框架内，当前的提案审查了角色 从神经回路、生理和行为水平来看，杏仁核在社会加工中的作用， 并研究杏仁核神经调节增强社交过程的可能性。 更深入地了解社会加工的神经回路将有助于学习和 抑郁症的治疗对更广泛的神经精神疾病也有影响。 该项目的结果将为NIMH R01应用程序提供试点数据，并对 申请者和指导团队正在进行的工作。课程作业将包括说教，以及 电生理分析实操培训，高级统计学教学培训 建模以申请者当前通过理科硕士课程的培训为基础 临床研究计划，以及研究伦理方面的持续培训。因此，这个奖项 将允许私人侦探完成她的目标，成为一个独立的，学术研究 调查者，在提出评估 杏仁核在抑郁症社会加工缺陷中的作用及其神经调节潜能 刺激杏仁核以减少这些缺陷。

SUMMARY: The purpose of the current proposal is to enable the PI to transition to independent research investigator, with expertise in electrophysiological analysis techniques to examine the real-time function of the emotional (affective) system in neurosurgery patients who undergo the placement of depth electrodes for clinical purposes. The proposed training plan includes structured mentoring, hands-on training in electrophysiology, didactic coursework, and a rigorous proposed research study. The proposed experiments leverage a highly specialized experimental setting: human epilepsy patients with depth electrodes implanted in the amygdala – central to social and emotion processing – for routine seizure focus monitoring in medically refractory epilepsy. In this setting, we can record local neuronal activity as well as apply small electrical currents to stimulate for research purposes. The proposed training in electrophysiology will enable the PI to examine the real-time function of the amygdala, which, when paired with her existing expertise in human neuroimaging and psychiatric behavioral measurement, will allow a thorough comparison of amygdala activity in social processing between depressed and non-depressed patients. This project examines the hypothesis that the amygdala plays a direct and causal role in social processing deficits observed in depression. Within the NIMH Research Domain Criterion Framework, the current proposal examines the role of the amygdala in social processing from the level of neural circuits, physiology, and behavior, and to examine the potential for amygdala neuromodulation to enhance social processing. Deeper understanding of the neural circuitry of social processing will facilitate the study and treatment of depression with implications for broader neuropsychiatric conditions as well. Results of this project will provide pilot data for an NIMH R01 application, and compliment the ongoing work of the applicant and the mentorship team. Coursework will include didactic, and hands-on training in electrophysiological analysis, didactic training in advanced statistical modeling to build upon the applicant’s current training through the Masters’ of Science in Clinical Research program, and continued training in research ethics. Therefore, this award would allow the PI to accomplish her goal of becoming an independent, academic research investigator, while advancing the research objective of evaluating the causal role of the amygdala in social processing deficits in depression and the neuromodulatory potential of amygdala stimulation to reduce these deficits.