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，使用多层次的记录和分析来研究婴儿的认知和行动。婴儿对可抓握物体的视觉注意力 在视觉检查期间和即将到达物体之前，使用眼动跟踪技术结合事件相关电位（ERP）测量进行测量。特别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达到。4.5-9个月大的婴儿将接受测试，以了解控制性伸手的早期发展。目的1检查婴儿视觉扫描模式（用眼动追踪测量）和婴儿视觉注意力的事件相关电位之间的相互关系。据预测，年长的婴儿将表现出更大的整合比年轻的婴儿，婴儿将表现出更大的一致性，在寻找和接触行为的注意试验比不注意的试验（与ERP措施索引）。目的2检查视觉扫描的影响，并注意目标导向的行为的规划和执行，通过识别“预达到”ERP组件发生之前立即启动达到运动。据预测，与自愿开始接触相关的预接触成分将在ERP中被识别出来，其幅度将在以下试验中更大： 与那些看和伸手不一致的婴儿相比，这些婴儿在看和伸手行为上表现出一致性（代表有计划的伸手）。目的1和2将在一个单一的实验，同时测量婴儿的视觉扫描，ERP，并达到行为的分析。利用这些方法的研究传统上是在平行但独立的研究项目中进行的。将这些方法整合到一个单一的研究中，将产生一些发现，这些发现将揭示参与行动计划和执行的注意过程，这是婴儿行为的一个方面，以前从未被研究过。一个可行的方法，同时测量婴儿的视觉扫描，神经活动和运动行为的发展，将代表一个重要的进步，在复杂的心理生理学工具，可用于研究言语前婴儿。

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.