Neural Correlates of Infant Attention and Action

描述(由申请人提供)：拟议研究的主要目标是开发和测试一种全新的方法，利用多层次的记录和分析来研究婴儿的认知和行为。婴儿对可抓物体的视觉注意将是 在视觉检查期间和接近对象之前使用眼球跟踪技术结合事件相关电位(ERP)测量进行测量。特别令人感兴趣的是神经活动和视觉扫描之间的关系，在规划和执行成功的REACH时。4.5个月和9个月大的婴儿将接受测试，以深入了解受控触觉的早期发展。目的1研究婴幼儿视觉扫描模式(用眼球跟踪测量)与婴幼儿视觉注意的事件相关电位之间的相互关系。据预测，与年幼的婴儿相比，年龄较大的婴儿将表现出更大的注视和到达行为的整合，并且在注意力集中的试验中，婴儿将比不集中的试验(根据事件相关电位测量指标)表现出更大的注视和到达行为的一致性。目的2研究视觉扫描和注意力对目标导向行为的计划和执行的影响，方法是识别发生在到达运动开始之前的“到达前”事件相关电位成分。据预测，在企业资源规划中将确定一个与自愿启动REACH有关的预达成部分，该部分将在#年的试验中幅度更大 哪些婴儿在注视和到达行为上表现出一致性(代表计划的到达)，而不是在观看和到达不一致的试验中(代表反应性到达)。目标1和目标2将在一个由婴儿视觉扫描、ERPs和到达行为分析的同时测量组成的单一实验中解决。利用这些方法的研究传统上是通过并行但独立的研究计划进行的。将这些方法整合到一项单独的研究中将产生发现，这些发现将揭示行动计划和执行中涉及的注意力过程，这是婴儿行为的一个方面，以前从未被研究过。开发一种可行的方法来同时测量婴儿的视觉扫描、神经活动和运动行为，将代表着可用于研究语前婴儿的心理生理学工具的复杂性的重大进步。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The major objective of the proposed research is to develop and test a completely novel methodology to study infant cognition and action using multiple levels of recording and analysis. Infant visual attention toward graspable objects will be measured using eye-tracking technology combined with event-related potential (ERP) measures during visual inspection and immediately prior to reaching for the object. Of particular interest will be the relationship between neural activity and visual scanning in planning and executing successful reaches. 4.5- and 9-month-old infants will be tested to provide insights into the early development of controlled reaching. Aim 1 examines interrelationships between infant visual scanning patterns (measured with eye-tracking) and event- related potential correlates of infant visual attention during visual inspection of an object prior to reaching. It is predicted that olde infants will demonstrate greater integration of looking and reaching behavior than younger infants, and that infants will demonstrate greater consistency in looking and reaching behavior on attentive trials than inattentive trials (as indexed with ERP measures). Aim 2 examines the impact of visual scanning, and attention on the planning and execution of goal-directed behavior by identifying "pre-reaching" ERP components occurring immediately preceding the initiation of reaching movements. It is predicted that a pre- reaching component associated with voluntary initiation of reaching will be identified in the ERP that will be greater in amplitude on trials in which infants demonstrate consistency in looking and reaching behavior (representing planned reaches) than on trials in which looking and reaching are inconsistent (representing reactive reaching). Aims 1 and 2 will be addressed in a single experiment composed of simultaneous measurement of infant visual scanning, ERPs, and analysis of reaching behavior. Research utilizing these approaches has traditionally been conducted across parallel but separate research programs. Integrating these approaches into a single study will produce findings which will shed light on the attentional processes involved in action planning and execution, an aspect of infant behavior that has never been investigated before. The development of a feasible approach to simultaneous measurement of infant visual scanning, neural activity, and motor behavior will represent a major advance in the sophistication of psychophysiological tools available for research with preverbal infants.