Complex decisions and the brain: an experimental and theoretical approach

这项建议的目标是扩大我们对决策的理解，使之超越迄今所研究的简单范例。在指导阶段，我使用了一种实验和理论的方法来研究受试者如何将感官证据整合到简单的决定中。这里提出的研究将探索受试者如何为更复杂的决策整合证据--特别是在哪些情况下 感官证据不仅来自视觉系统(单线索决定)，也来自听觉系统(线索整合决定)。虽然我们知道视觉可以受到其他形式的影响已经有一段时间了，但这种现象背后的神经机制在很大程度上仍然不清楚。 为了研究线索整合背后的神经机制，我将使用一个比率辨别决策任务。我将研究受试者做出决定的速度和准确性是如何变化的，这取决于速度信息是呈现给视觉系统还是听觉系统，还是两者兼而有之。因为任务中关于心率的信息是嘈杂的和不可靠的，如果受试者综合起来，他们可能会做出更好的决定 来自这两种模式的信息。 我将记录动物在进行这项任务时顶叶皮质的电生理反应。 此外，我将使用理论模型来问：单线索与线索整合任务上的行为差异是否可以用两个任务上不同的电生理反应来解释？ 因此，我的训练使我非常适合这项工作：我有在清醒的、行为正常的动物中进行生理学实验的丰富经验。此外，由于指导阶段，我获得了理论建模方面的专业知识，并开发了对解释生理数据至关重要的分析工具。

The goal of this proposal Is to extend our understanding of decision-making beyond the simple paradigms that have been studied thus far. During the mentored phase, I used an experimental and theoretical approach to examine how subjects Integrate sensory evidence for simple decisions. The research proposed here will explore how subjects Integrate evidence for more complex decisions- in particular, decisions where the sensory evidence comes not only from the visual system (single cue decisions), but from the auditory system as well (cue Integration decisions). While it has been known for some time that vision can be influenced by other modalities, the neural mechanisms underlying this phenomenon remain largely unknown. To investigate the neural mechanisms underlying cue integration, I will use a rate discrimination decision task. I will examine how the speed and accuracy of subjects' decisions changes depending on whether rate information is presented to the visual system, the auditory system, or both. Because the information about rate in the task is noisy and unreliable, subjects can potentially make better decisions if they integrate information from the two modalities. I will record electrophysiological responses from parietal cortex as the animals are engaged in the task. Further, I will use theoretical models to ask: can the behavioral differences on the single-cue vs cue integration tasks be explained by the different electrophysiological responses on the two tasks? My training thus fa r makes me ideally suited for this endeavor: I have extensive experience conducting physiology experiments in awake, behaving animals. Further, because of the mentored phase, I have gained expertise in theoretical modeling and have developed analysis tools that will be critical for interpreting the physiological data.