Cognitive Control and its neural substrates in schizophrenia

描述（由申请人提供）：自Kraepelin（1919）和Bleuler（1950）以来，几乎每一种精神分裂症认知功能障碍的描述都强调了注意力障碍，但这种缺陷的位置尚未得到很好的理解。一个突出的模型提出，精神分裂症的注意力功能障碍是由于我们激活的记忆表征异常，以控制我们的注意力（即注意力引导）。另一个领先的模型提出，对转移感知注意本身很重要的神经机制受到了损害（即输入选择）。在这个项目中，我将使用视觉搜索任务和非侵入性电生理方法来测试这些认知功能障碍模型的竞争预测。我的分析将集中在视觉工作记忆、长期记忆和知觉注意在行为反应前的信息处理的主动期和错误后的反应期之间的关系。此外，我将结合电生理学方法和非侵入性电刺激来确定是否有可能改变精神分裂症患者在视觉搜索过程中控制和使用注意力的方式。主要的研究目标是采用基本的神经科学工具和见解来跟踪健康个体自上而下控制信号的使用，并利用它们加深我们对精神分裂症基本认知缺陷的理解。长期目标是开发干预措施以改善这些患者的认知功能。我的主要训练目标是成为一个独立的研究者完全胜任执行转化神经科学与临床人群。我将通过有针对性的课程学习、独立阅读系列、赞助商的密切监督、与范德比尔特大学和哥伦比亚大学的教职员工建立新的合作关系以及继续研究来实现这些目标。这个转化研究培训项目将为我在一流研究型大学经营自己的实验室的职业目标做准备。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Since the time of Kraepelin (1919) and Bleuler (1950) nearly every description of schizophrenia cognitive dysfunction highlights impairments in attention, yet the locus of this deficit is not well understood. One prominent model proposes that the locus of schizophrenia attentional dysfunction is due to an abnormality in the memory representations that we activate to control our attention (i.e., attentional guidance). Another leading model proposes that the neural mechanism important for shifting perceptual attention itself is damaged (i.e., input selection). In this project, I will use visual search tasks and noninvasive electrophysiological methods to test the competing predictions of these models of cognitive dysfunction. My analyses will focus on the relationships between visual working memory, long-term memory, and shifts of perceptual attention during both the proactive period of information processing prior to the behavioral response and the reactive period after an error. Additionally, I will combine electrophysiological methods with noninvasive electrical stimulation to determine whether it is possible to change how schizophrenia patients control and use attention during visual search. The primary research goal is to take the basic neuroscientific tools and insights for tracking the use of top-down control signals in healthy individuals and use them to deepen our understanding of the fundamental cognitive deficits in schizophrenia. The long-term goal is to develop interventions to improve cognitive functioning in these patients. My primary training goal is to become an independent investigator fully competent in performing translational neuroscience with clinical populations. I will meet these goals through targeted coursework, independent reading series, close supervision by my sponsors, building new collaborations with faculty at Vanderbilt University and Columbia University, and continued research. This translational research-training program will prepare me for my career objective of running my own laboratory at a top-tier research university.