Impact of Familiarity and Attachment on Visual Processing of Faces

熟悉度和依恋对面部视觉处理的影响

• 批准号: 6432868
• 负责人: Ellen Leibenluft
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF MENTAL HEALTH
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 至
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/6432868
• 关键词: brain mapping; clinical research; emotions; face; functional magnetic resonance imaging; human subject; neural information processing; neurosciences; visual perception; visual stimulus

The neural circuitry involved in processing the visual stimulus of a human face has received considerable research attention, with evidence indicating that some brain regions may respond preferentially to such stimuli. However, we know little about how neural processing is affected by the subject's familiarity with, or emotional attachment to, the person whose face is depicted. Research in this area could form a bridge between cognitive neuroscience and the newly emerging field of affective neuroscience by indicating pathway(s) linking limbic and sensory circuits. In addition, the use of emotionally significant faces as activation stimuli may help to elucidate the neural circuitry underlying interpersonal attachment and psychological responses to loss. Thus, this functional magnetic resonance imaging protocol uses a face recognition activation task to examine how neural processing varies depending on whether the face depicted is emotionally significant to the viewer. In a series of studies, subjects view unfamiliar and familiar (including personally familiar and famous) faces; mothers view pictures of their own child and those of familiar and unfamiliar children; and bereaved and non-bereaved spouses view pictures of their spouse, other family members, and unfamiliar people. To date, ten subjects have completed the study that uses personally familiar, famous familiar, and unfamiliar faces as stimuli, and ten mothers have completed the second study. These data are currently being analyzed. In addition, five spousally bereaved individuals and four matched controls have completed the third study. Recruitment of bereaved subjects and controls for is continuing.

处理人脸视觉刺激的神经回路引起了大量的研究注意，有证据表明某些大脑区域可能会优先响应这种刺激。 但是，我们对神经处理的熟悉或情感依恋对所描绘的人的熟悉或情感依恋的影响一无所知。 该领域的研究可以通过指示连接边缘和感觉电路的途径来形成认知神经科学与新出现的情感神经科学领域之间的桥梁。 此外，将情感意义的面孔用作激活刺激可能有助于阐明人际关系界面的神经回路和对损失的心理反应。因此，这种功能性磁共振成像协议使用面部识别激活任务来检查神经处理的变化，具体取决于所描绘的面部是否对观看者具有情感上的意义。 在一系列研究中，受试者认为不熟悉和熟悉的面孔（包括个人熟悉和著名）面孔；母亲查看自己的孩子以及熟悉和陌生的孩子的照片；丧亲且非生活的配偶查看其配偶，其他家庭成员和陌生人的照片。 迄今为止，十个科目已经完成了这项研究，该研究使用了个人熟悉，著名熟悉和陌生的面孔作为刺激，而十位母亲已经完成了第二项研究。这些数据目前正在分析。此外，五个夫妻丧亲的个体和四个匹配的对照组完成了第三项研究。招募丧亲的臣民和控制措施仍在继续。