Magnetoencephalogrphic (MEG) Studies of Atypical Cortical Connectivity in Autism Spectrum Disorders

自闭症谱系障碍中非典型皮质连接的脑磁 (MEG) 研究

• 批准号: 2291031
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: Aston University
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Studentship
• 财政年份: 2019
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2019 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=studentship-2291031
• 关键词: Magnetoencephalogrphic; MEG; Studies; Atypical; Cortical

The project aims to develop an innovative Neuro-VR toolbox for autism intervention and represents a novel collaboration between the School of Life & Health Sciences (LHS) and the School of Engineering & Applied Sciences (SEAS), bringing together Professor K Kessler's (LHS) expertise in social neuroscience, neuroscience in virtual reality and autism research and Dr U Bernardet's (SEAS) expertise in Virtual Human software technology for non-verbal social interaction, reflexive behaviour architecture and modelling of social-spatial behaviour. The project was co-designed with the named candidate, Cliona Kelly.The aim is to develop Virtual Humans toolbox for simple, non-verbal social interactions to enable assessment of autistic deficits in behavioural and electrophysiological responses to non-verbal behaviour, leading to novel intervention technology in the long run. Initial experiments manipulating facial expressions, gaze and proxemic behaviour of VR avatars will be largely based on previous behavioural research by Bailenson et al. (2003) with neurotypical participants and on Wang et al (2017) with autistic participants. However, in this project, responses will only be assessed through overt behaviour (e.g. participants' gaze, facial expression and proxemic responses) but also through electrophysiological recordings of brain (EEG), heart rate (HR) and galvanic skin conductance (GSR). In a second innovative stage, participant multimodal responses will be used to drive Virtual Human behaviour in a closed-loop control system, providing a novel approach for long-term behavioural modification. While research and interventions with VR are being trialled in autism and other mental disorders (e.g. Wang et al., 2017), our team at Aston will be first to integrate electrophysiologial measures with a complex dynamic control system for realistic Virtual Humans and implement a closed-loop system for behavioural modification in autism. Targetting non-verbal behaviours enables interventions with individuals with reduced communicative abilities, while higher-functioning individuals will benefit from positive knock-on effects on verbal communication. Recruitment of autistic participants will use our established links with special needs schools. The proposed project will further our understanding of behavioural and neural abberrations in autism, generate novel technology for enhanced realism of Virtual Humans that will benefit a variety of VR projects, and provide proof-of-concept for novel intervention technology using closed-loop Neuro-VR systems. In the long term, this toolbox could be extended to other conditions and disorders such as ADHD, Depression, Bi-polar Disorder, OCD, Schizophrenia, Dementia, etc.

该项目旨在开发一个用于自闭症干预的创新Neuro-VR工具箱，代表了生命与健康科学学院（LHS）和工程与应用科学学院（SEAS）之间的新型合作，汇集了K Kessler教授（LHS）在社会神经科学方面的专业知识，神经科学在虚拟现实和自闭症研究和U Bernardet博士（SEAS）在虚拟人软件技术的非语言社交互动的专业知识，反身行为架构和社会空间行为建模。该项目是与指定的候选人Cliona Kelly共同设计的。其目的是开发虚拟人类工具箱，用于简单的非语言社交互动，以评估自闭症患者对非语言行为的行为和电生理反应缺陷，从长远来看，这将导致新的干预技术。操纵VR化身的面部表情，凝视和情绪行为的初步实验将主要基于Bailenson等人（2003）对神经型参与者和Wang等人（2017）对自闭症参与者的先前行为研究。然而，在本项目中，仅通过明显的行为（例如参与者的凝视、面部表情和血液反应）评估反应，但也通过脑电生理记录（EEG）、心率（HR）和皮肤电传导（GSR）进行评估。在第二个创新阶段，参与者的多模态响应将用于在闭环控制系统中驱动虚拟人行为，为长期行为修改提供新方法。虽然VR的研究和干预正在自闭症和其他精神障碍中进行试验（例如Wang等人，2017年），我们在阿斯顿的团队将首先将电生理措施与复杂的动态控制系统相结合，用于逼真的虚拟人，并实现自闭症行为矫正的闭环系统。针对非语言行为的干预措施可以帮助沟通能力下降的人，而功能较高的人将受益于对语言沟通的积极连锁效应。招募自闭症参与者将利用我们与特殊需要学校建立的联系。拟议的项目将进一步加深我们对自闭症行为和神经异常的理解，生成增强虚拟人真实感的新技术，这将有利于各种VR项目，并为使用闭环Neuro-VR系统的新型干预技术提供概念验证。从长远来看，这个工具箱可以扩展到其他疾病和障碍，如多动症，抑郁症，双相情感障碍，强迫症，精神分裂症，痴呆症等。