FUNCTIONAL MRI OF COGNITIVE PROCESSES

描述(改编自申请人的摘要)： 这项应用中提出的研究是为了确定大脑的激活 特定知觉运动认知任务执行过程中的模式，如 高场强(4特斯拉)功能磁共振 成像(FMRI)。健康的女性和男性将被研究。这些任务包括 旨在测试一些高阶运动功能如何的假说 在大脑中表现出来。这些功能包括预测电机控制， 例如拦截移动目标，以及反映实际情况的任务，即 复杂的有目的的运动动作，如从视觉上复制人物 模板，在迷宫中查找出口路线，以及构建对象 部件。这些目标的潜在实现是在 REACH，由于fMRI提供的足够分辨率，即使在 个别受试者。这些假设将被检验：(A)每一个 上面的任务涉及特定大脑区域的合作互动， (B)这种激活的模式存在重叠；及。(C) 这种重叠对应于它们共享的公共功能核心 任务。获取的数据将同时使用传统和 现代多元统计技术，如层次树 分析。预计将获得的结果将提供新的见解 研究大脑如何处理动态的视觉运动过程 对患有结构性失用症的患者感到不安。最后， 我们将检验一般假设，即男女在 上述任务背后的脑功能激活模式；如果 发现显著差异，这些差异将被识别并将导致 视觉空间脑加工新假说的产生 以及由女性和男性提供的建设性信息。

DESCRIPTION (Adapted from applicant's abstract): The overall goal of the research proposed in this application is to determine the brain activation patterns during performance of specific perceptual motor cognitive tasks, as revealed by high field strength (4 Tesla) functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Healthy women and men will be studied. The tasks are designed to test hypothesis of how some higher order motor functions are represented in the brain. These functions include predictive motor control, such as intercepting a moving target, and tasks reflecting praxis, namely complex purposeful motor actions, such as copying figures from visual templates, finding exit routes in mazes, and constructing objects from component parts. The potential achievement of these objectives is within reach, due to the adequate resolution afforded by the fMRI even for individual subjects. The hypotheses will be tested (a) that each one of the tasks above involves the cooperative interaction of specific brain areas, (b) that there is an overlap in the pattern of this activation, and (c) that this overlap corresponds to the common functional core shared by these tasks. The data acquired will be analyzed using both traditional as well as modern multivariate statistical techniques, such as hierarchical tree analysis. The results to be obtained are expected to provide novel insights into how the brain deals with dynamic visuomotor processes that are commonly disturbed in patients suffering from constructional apraxia. Finally, the general hypothesis will be tested that two genders do not differ in the functional brain activation patterns underlying the tasks above; if significant differences are found, these will be identified and will lead to the generation of new hypotheses about the brain processing of visuo spatial and visuo constructive information by women and men.