Human Functional Brain Anatomy

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant) This Program Project will investigate the functional neuroanatomy of the human brain using high-field functional magnetic resonance imaging (functional MRI), electrophysiology, and behavior. The four scientific projects are strongly linked by their focus on the relationship between brain and behavior. The projects are organized into a logical progression from sensory processing through response selection. Project 1 considers the relationship between performance in elemental visual psychophysical tasks and the quantitative structural anatomy of primary visual cortex (Vl). This project is technically challenging and depends upon high-resolution fMRI-based retinotopic mapping to discriminate V1 from other visual areas. Project 2 also focuses upon early visual processing, however its emphasis is upon changes in processing as a function of directed attention. Project 3 builds directly upon Project 2 by investigating the domain specificity (space or feature) of attended visual attributes that must be maintained in a transient memory store for later processing. Project 3 also investigates the role of response processing and sequential expectancies in prefrontal cortex. Project 4 will investigate the manner in attention is attracted automatically or reflexively by novel and/or distracting stimuli. The scientific projects are supported by three Cores. Core A is administrative. Core B will develop methods in high-field functional MRI designed to improve the functional resolution of brain imaging. This core will develop and implement methods to improve the specificity of the MR signal to brain parenchyma, to recover signal lost to large scale susceptibility artifacts in ventral frontal and medial temporal regions, and to improve the spatial and temporal resolution of BOLD contrast. Core C will develop and implement methods for experimental control, physiological monitoring, and analysis of structural and functional image data.