CRCNS: Spatiotemporal imaging study of the mechanisms of binocular rivalry

描述（由申请人提供）：拟议的合作研究的目标是通过建立一种具有广泛应用的新型计算时空神经成像方法来促进对双眼竞争机制的理解，这是神经科学中一个重要的未解决问题。我们的两只眼睛通常协同工作，为我们提供视觉世界的连贯和独特的表现。然而，当两个不同的图像呈现给每只眼睛时，感知在它们之间交替，这种现象称为双眼竞争。双眼竞争是理解双眼视觉信息如何结合的关键，也是因为双眼竞争已成为研究视觉意识和知觉神经机制的主要模型系统，因此受到神经科学界的高度关注。鉴于近年来神经成像技术的快速发展和双目竞争中仍待解决的关键问题，神经科学家和生物医学工程师之间的密切合作的机会已经成熟，以开发创新的计算方法，推动时空成像的前沿，以回答双目竞争中的关键问题。智力优势：这个合作研究项目将通过解决以下具体目标来推进神经科学研究和计算神经成像：目标1。双眼竞争的同时fMRI和EEG测量和计算多模态神经成像。我们将建立一个新的多模态计算时空神经成像方法，测量和整合同时功能磁共振成像和脑电信号的大脑活动在双眼竞争。该目标将回答与双眼竞争相关的关键问题，并显着推进最先进的双眼竞争研究和用于脑映射的时空计算神经成像方法，允许高分辨率的大脑活动模式的时空成像，这是双眼竞争分辨率的基础。目标2.方法在双眼竞争成分及刺激竞争机制研究中的应用。我们将使用组合的功能磁共振成像和脑电图开发目标1调查的组成机制的双眼竞争，并测试预测的基础上有影响力的计算模型的双眼竞争。我们 将确定竞争开始和竞争维持两个动态阶段的神经相关性。我们将研究负责刺激竞争的神经机制。创新的关键假设是要测试在拟议的实验研究，和多模态计算神经成像方法。非常有希望的初步结果证明了所提出的方法的可行性，并表明成功的精心设计和发展的可能性很高。更广泛的影响：拟议的项目将产生广泛的影响，1）推进基础神经科学研究，2）促进公共卫生，3）教育和培训下一代科学领导人，包括妇女和代表性不足的群体的成员。理解双眼竞争的机制对于理解意识的神经基础以及我们的大脑如何解决冲突的输入信息具有重要意义。拟议的研究的成功完成将导致全面了解双眼竞争的机制和一种新的多模态计算神经成像方法的进步，该方法有望在空间和时间上以高分辨率成像大脑活动。因此，拟议的项目将对认知神经科学的广泛主题的研究产生重大影响，从 通过认知和精神障碍的感知，以及在科学和工程中具有广泛应用的解决逆问题的成像科学。理解双眼相互作用也将导致更好地理解视觉障碍的机制，例如弱视，最常见的视觉障碍之一，由一只眼睛的输入的皮质减弱引起。了解竞争中的抑制机制和竞争不发生时的整合机制可能会显着推进各种视觉障碍，如弱视的管理。此外，通过拟议培训研究生和博士后，包括妇女和代表性不足群体的成员，该项目将对培训下一代科学领导人产生广泛影响。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The goal of the proposed collaborative research is to advance the understanding of the mechanisms underlying binocular rivalry, a significant unresolved issue in neuroscience, through the establishment of a novel computational spatio-temporal neuroimaging methodology with broad applications. Our two eyes normally work in tandem to give us a coherent and unique representation of the visual world. However, when two different images are presented one to each eye, perception alternates between them, a phenomenon known as binocular rivalry. Binocular rivalry has attached significant attention from the neuroscience community, because its understanding is key to understanding how visual information from the two eyes is combined and also because binocular rivalry has become the main model system for studying neural mechanisms of visual awareness and consciousness. Given the rapid development in neuroimaging techniques in recent years and the critical questions that remain to be addressed in binocular rivalry, the opportunity is ripe for a close collaboration between neuroscientist and biomedical engineers to develop innovative computational approaches and push forward the frontiers of spatiotemporal imaging to answer critical questions in binocular rivalry. Intellectual Merits: This collaborative research project wll advance both neuroscience research and computational neuroimaging by addressing the following specific aims: Aim 1. Simultaneous fMRI and EEG measurement and computational multimodal neuroimaging of binocular rivalry. We will establish a novel multimodal computational spatio-temporal neuroimaging approach that measures and integrates simultaneous fMRI and EEG signals of brain activity during binocular rivalry. This Aim will answer key questions related to binocular rivalry, and significantly advance the state of the art o binocular rivalry research and the spatio-temporal computational neuroimaging methodology for brain mapping, allowing high resolution spatio-temporal imaging of the pattern of brain activity that underlies the resolution of binocular rivalry. Aim 2. Application of method to study components of binocular rivalry and mechanisms of stimulus rivalry. We will used combined fMRI and EEG to be developed in Aim 1 to investigate the component mechanisms of binocular rivalry, and to test predictions based on influential computational models of binocular rivalry. We will identify the neural correlates of two dynamic stages of rivalry initiation and rivalry maintenance. We will investigate the neural mechanisms responsible for stimulus rivalry. Of innovation are the key hypotheses to be tested in the proposed experimental investigation, and the multi-modal computational neuroimaging approach. The highly promising preliminary results demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed approach and indicate the high likelihood of success of the carefully designed and developments. Broader Impacts: The proposed project will have broad impacts to 1) advance basic neuroscience research, 2) promote public health, and 3) educate and train the next generation of scientific leaders including women and members of under-represented groups. Understanding the mechanisms of binocular rivalry has important implications for understanding the neural basis of consciousness, as well as how our brain resolves conflicting input information. The successful completion of the proposed research will lead to a comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms of binocular rivalry and advancement of a novel multimodal computational neuroimaging approach, which promises to image brain activity with high resolution in both space and time. As such the proposed project will have a significant impact for study of a broad range of topics in cognitive neuroscience, from perception through cognition and mental disorders, and imaging science for solving inverse problem with broad applications in science and engineering. Understanding binocular interactions will also lead to a better understanding of mechanisms of visual disorders, such as amblyopia, one of the most common visual disorders, resulting from cortical weakening of one eye's inputs. Understanding the mechanisms of suppression in rivalry and of integration when rivalry does not occur may significantly advance the management of various visual disorders such as amblyopia. Furthermore, through the proposed training of graduate students and postdocs including women and members of under-represented groups, the project will have broad impacts of training of the next generation of scientific leaders.