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

总结： 目前提案的目的是使PI能够过渡到独立研究 调查员，具有电生理分析技术的专门知识， 神经外科患者的情绪（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 结构化指导，电生理学实践培训，教学课程，以及 严谨的研究建议。拟议的实验利用了一个高度专业化的 实验设置：在杏仁核中植入深度电极的人类癫痫患者 - 社会和情绪处理的中心-用于医学中的常规癫痫病灶监测 难治性癫痫在这种情况下，我们可以记录局部神经元活动以及应用小的 用于研究目的的电流刺激。拟议的培训 电生理学将使PI能够检查杏仁核的实时功能， 结合她现有的人类神经影像学和精神行为学方面的专业知识， 测量，将允许在社会处理中的杏仁核活动的彻底比较 抑郁症患者和非抑郁症患者之间的差异。这个项目研究的假设， 杏仁核在抑郁症中观察到的社会处理缺陷中起着直接和因果作用。 在NIMH研究领域标准框架内，目前的建议审查了 从神经回路、生理学和行为学的层面， 并检查杏仁核神经调节增强社会处理的潜力。 更深入地了解社会处理的神经回路将有助于研究， 抑郁症的治疗也涉及更广泛的神经精神疾病。 该项目的结果将为NIMH R 01应用提供试验数据，并补充 申请人和导师团队正在进行的工作。课程将包括教学，和 电生理分析的实践培训，高级统计学的教学培训 建模，以建立在申请人目前的培训，通过科学硕士， 临床研究计划，并继续在研究伦理培训。因此，该奖项 将允许PI实现她的目标，成为一个独立的，学术研究 研究人员，同时推进评估因果作用的研究目标， 杏仁核在抑郁症的社会处理缺陷中的作用及其神经调节潜力 杏仁核刺激来减少这些缺陷。

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.