Electrophysiological Correlates of Cognitive Control in Autism

描述(由申请者提供)：本职业发展奖申请书代表了一个为期5年的培训计划，旨在发展一个独立的学术生涯，进行神经生理学研究，以表征与自闭症病理生理学相关的神经认知障碍。首席研究员(PI)将通过临床和认知神经科学方法以及临床心理学的多学科培训计划来扩展她的研究技能，重点是高密度脑电(EEG)的先进技术。培训计划包括这些研究领域的正式课程和讲习班，以及在高密度脑电调查中使用的分析和统计策略的实践经验。该培训计划旨在帮助PI建立一个研究计划，在可预见的未来调查自闭症认知障碍的神经生理学相关性，并实现通过结合眼球运动和多种神经成像方法开展自闭症病理生理学的程序性研究的长期目标，以辨别自闭症中不典型的神经生理发育如何导致自闭症症状的发展和异质性。一批优秀的导师和顾问将提供科学和职业建议。罗恩·曼根博士将担任主要导师。曼根博士是加州大学戴维斯分校(UC Davis)心智和大脑中心(Center for Mind and Brain at the University of California，Davis)的创始主任，也是电生理学领域公认的领导者，该领域研究典型和非典型发育人群的认知功能。加州大学戴维斯分校麻省理工学院的彼得·芒迪博士和芝加哥伊利诺伊大学的约翰·斯威尼博士也将担任共同导师，提供智力和专业指导。该计划的研究部分将专注于通过高密度脑电获得实践经验，以研究自闭症患者的行为抑制控制和错误监测障碍。最近的证据表明，这些损伤与重复行为和社会损伤的严重程度有关，尽管这些损伤的神经生理学相关性尚未得到很好的描述。该研究项目还将研究抑制控制和错误监测的脑电措施、自闭症的临床症状和凝视模式与复杂社会刺激之间的关系，以更好地了解神经认知障碍如何促进人群中症状的发展和表型变异。拟议的培训和研究活动将在精神和大脑中心和M.I.N.D.研究所进行，这将为高级电生理学技术和多学科临床神经科学研究的培训提供理想的环境。 公共卫生相关性：这项职业发展奖申请是一个为期5年的培训计划，旨在通过神经科学方法的多学科培训计划发展研究技能，重点是高密度脑电(EEG)方法，以研究自闭症认知问题的大脑基础。该项目的研究部分侧重于研究行为抑制和自我监控方面的损害的大脑基础，这些损害与抑制社交场合中的不当行为或重复行为的困难有关。建立认知问题的大脑基础将有助于我们为未来的治疗研究奠定基础，从而改善受影响个人的生活。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This Career Development Award application represents a 5 year training program for developing an independent academic career to conduct neurophysiological research to characterize neurocognitive impairments related to the pathophysiology of autism. The principal investigator (PI) will expand her research skills through a multidisciplinary training program on clinical and cognitive neuroscientific methods and clinical psychology, with an emphasis on advanced techniques in high-density electroencephalography (EEG). The training program consists of formal courses and workshops in these research domains as well as hands-on experience with analytic and statistical strategies used in high-density EEG investigations. The training program is designed to aid the PI to establish a research program to investigate neurophysiological correlates of cognitive disturbances in autism in the foreseeable future as well as achieving a long-term goal of developing the programmatic investigation of the pathophysiology of autism via combination of oculomotor and multiple neuroimaging methods, to discern how atypical neurophysiological development in autism leads to symptom development and heterogeneity in autism. A group of outstanding mentors and consultants will serve to provide scientific and career advice. Dr. Ron Mangun will serve as the primary mentor. Dr. Mangun is the founding director of the Center for Mind and Brain at the University of California, Davis (UC Davis) and a well recognized leader in the field of electrophysiology to characterize cognitive function in both typical and atypically developing populations. Drs. Peter Mundy at the M.I.N.D. Institute at UC Davis and John Sweeney at the University of Illinois at Chicago will also serve as co-mentors to provide intellectual and professional guidance. The research portion of the program will focus on acquiring hands-on experience with high-density EEG to study inhibitory control of behaviors and error monitoring impairments in autism. Recent evidence suggests that these impairments are correlated with severity of repetitive behavior and social impairments though the neurophysiological correlates of these impairments are not yet well characterized. The research project will also examine relationships between EEG measures of inhibitory control and error monitoring, clinical symptoms of autism and gaze patterns with complex social stimuli, in order to gain a better understanding of how neurocognitive impairments contribute to symptom development and phenotypic variability in the population. The proposed training and research activities will take place at the Center for Mind and Brain and M.I.N.D. Institute, which will provide an ideal setting for training in advanced electrophysiology techniques and multidisciplinary clinical neuroscientific research. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: This Career Development Award application represents a 5 year training program for developing research skills through a multidisciplinary training program on neuroscientific methods, with an emphasis in high- density electroencephalography (EEG) methods to study brain substrates of cognitive problems in autism. The research portion of this program focuses on investigating brain basis for impairments in behavioral inhibition and self-monitoring, which are related to difficulty inhibiting inappropriate behaviors in social situations or repetitive behaviors. Establishing brain basis of cognitive problems will help us lay a foundation for future treatment studies, which can lead to improved life of affected individuals.