SPONTANEOUS MOTOR ACTIVITY OF DEVELOPING HUMAN INFANTS

目前的研究计划表明，自发的运动活动 在胎儿和婴幼儿身上有很强的周期性组织 不规则的周期从1-4分钟不等。中国的长期目标是 研究计划已经了解了CM的发展，其 其潜在机制及其对胎儿和胎儿的功能意义 婴儿。建议进行五项研究，以探讨CM和 它的功能后果。这些研究的具体目的是 调查：(M1)CM的无扰动力学。的属性 可能的CM吸引子将在不受干扰的清醒期间进行估计 在1个月和3个月时使用新技术进行非线性实验 动力学。根据初步发现，这项研究预计将揭示 CM机制中的低维混沌动力学， 这将建议对持续但不规律的 运动活动的波动；(M2)CM的强度和程度 吸引子。将检验清醒的CM对扰动的反应 在1个月零3个月。CM吸引器的强度和范围将是 通过分析扰动轨迹的演变来估计 重构了CM状态空间。预计结果将产生更多 关于CM机构的动态稳定性的详细信息， 存在质的不同的CM组织模式，以及 CM状态空间中敏感度的变化。(F1)CM和空间 视觉注意力的分配。CM与关注的耦合 静态视觉环境中的元素将在广告期间进行分析 Libitum观察1个月和3个月。把注意力从 刺激应与CM的特定阶段相关联，基于 根据初步数据。更长期的注意力分配到 预计刺激与CM强度和不可预测性有关， 基于注意和混沌的功能理论；(F2)CM和 对刺激反应的调节。显性视觉注意的转移 将在1个月和3个月时对新的刺激方案进行审查。注意力集中 脱离和重新定向预计取决于CM的阶段 在刺激开始时，它将根据 F1研究的结果。这些数据将提供有关如何 注意在不断变化的环境中的中断性受到影响 (F3)CM与视觉注意习惯化。无忧无虑的CM 并在3个月后检查视觉注意的习惯性。 在习惯化过程中，注视持续时间预计会出现部分波动 与CM的变化阶段的关系。自动恢复到正常状态 刺激措施不变，以及未能恢复到刺激措施的变化，都是 预计与康复后试验的CM阶段有关 开始吧。未受扰动的CM的光谱和动力学性质也可以 解释标准度量中的一些差异 习惯化/恢复。更广泛地说，有几个理由需要研究 厘米。(1)作为早期神经行为组织的一种强健属性，它 很可能是与 环境。(2)造成复杂波动的机制 在CM中的活动可能是非常常见的，所以理解它 会有更广泛的意义。(3)CM提供了测试的机会 动力系统理论在解释行为中的作用 组织，目前是一个非常感兴趣的话题。(4)CM是一个方面 可以精确地研究的行为组织 当生物体及其有效环境处于 两者都在迅速变化。

The present research program has shown that spontaneous motor activity in the fetus and young infant has a strong cyclic organization with irregular periods ranging from 1-4 min. The long-term goals of the research program have been to understand the development of CM, its underlying mechanism, and its functional significance for the fetus and infant. Five studies are proposed to investigate the mechanism of CM and its functional consequences. The specific aims of the studies are to investigate: (M1) The Unperturbed Dynamics of CM. The properties of possible CM attractors will be estimated during undisturbed awake periods at 1 and 3 months using new techniques in experimental nonlinear dynamics. Based on preliminary findings, the study is expected to reveal low dimensional chaotic dynamics in the mechanism responsible for CM, which would suggest a unified explanation of the sustained but irregular fluctuations in motor activity; (M2) The Strength and Extent of CM Attractors. The response of awake CM to perturbation will be examined at 1 an 3 months. The strength and extent of CM attractors will be estimated by analyzing the evolution of perturbed trajectories in reconstructed CM state space. The results are expected to yield more detailed information about the dynamic stability of the CM mechanism, the existence of qualitatively different modes of CM organization, and variation in sensitivity across CM state space. (F1) CM and the Spatial Distribution of Visual Attention. The coupling of CM and attention to elements in a static visual environment will be analyzed during ad libitum looking at 1 and 3 months. Attentional disengagement from stimuli is expected to be associated with specific phases of CM, based on preliminary data. The longer term distribution of attention to stimuli is expected to be linked to CM strength and unpredictability, based on functional theories of attention and chaos; (F2) CM and the Modulation of Response to a Stimulus. Shifting of overt visual attention to a new stimulus will be examined at 1 and 3 months. Attentional disengagement and re-orienting are expected to depend on the phase of CM at stimulus onset, which will be varied systematically based on the findings of Study F1. The data will yield detailed information about how the interruptibility of attention in a changing environment is influenced by CM; (F3) CM and the Habituation of Visual Attention. Unperturbed CM and the habituation of visual attention will be examined at 3 months. During habituation, fixation duration is expected to fluctuate partly in relation to the changing phase of CM. Spontaneous recovery to an unchanged stimulus, and failure to recover to a stimulus change, are expected to be related to the phase of CM when the posthabituation trials begin. Spectral and dynamic properties of unperturbed CM may also explain some of the variance in standard measures of habituation/recovery. More generally, there are several reasons to study CM. (1) As a robust property of early neurobehavioral organization, it is likely to be an important factor in adaptive interactions with the environment. (2) The mechanism responsible for the complex fluctuations of activity in CM may be a very common one, so that understanding it would have broader significance. (3) CM provides an opportunity to test the utility of dynamical systems theory in explaining behavioral organization, currently a topic of great interest. (4) CM is an aspect of behavioral organization which can be studied with precision during early development when the organism and its effective environment are both changing rapidly.