Watch your step! Uncovering the neurocognitive basis for the relationship between human attention and mobility

众所周知，对环境中物体位置的注意（即视觉空间注意）对于指导运动行为非常重要。例如，当我们与正在交谈的人保持目光接触时，我们使用视觉空间注意力来引导我们的手拿起咖啡杯。我之前的研究已经将这种关系扩展到行走或移动领域。具体来说，我发现视觉空间注意力对于在我们的环境中安全行走是至关重要的，通过检查特定人群的注意力，这些人群表现为行动障碍，老年人有跌倒的历史。我目前的研究项目旨在揭示对移动性至关重要的特定注意力过程，并阐明支持这种关系的潜在大脑功能和结构。这将通过一系列的实验室实验来实现，在这些实验中，我将与研究生一起使用先进的神经成像技术（脑电图，EEG；磁共振成像，MRI）来进一步了解对移动性至关重要的大脑过程。具体而言，我们将研究移动性是否与“注意力狭窄”（目标1）、大脑半球之间的潜在结构差异（目标2）、两个任务之间的表现切换（称为“任务切换”）（目标3）以及解剖学上不同大脑区域网络内部和之间的功能连接（目标3）有关。重要的是，我的研究项目将：1)为认知神经科学领域做出贡献，通过推进我们目前对人类注意力和活动能力之间关系的理解，从而提供对人类大脑结构和功能基本方面的见解；2)提供培训新一代认知神经科学家的关键技能的机会，帮助他们在研究和工业中脱颖而出；3)巩固加拿大作为认知神经科学研究和神经成像技术的主要贡献者。将我们置于新科学发现的前沿，为未来的政策和实践提供信息

It is well known that attention for the location of objects in our environment (i.e., visual-spatial attention) is important for guiding motor behaviour. For example, we use visual-spatial attention to guide our hands to pick up our coffee mug while we maintain eye contact with a person we are engaged in conversation with. My previous research has extended this relationship to the walking, or mobility, domain. Specifically, I have found that visual-spatial attention is critical for safely walking through our environment by examining attention in a specific population manifesting impaired mobility older adults with a history of falls. My current research program aims to uncover the specific attentional processes that are essential for mobility, and to elucidate the underlying brain functions and structures that support this relationship. This will be achieved through a series of laboratory experiments where, along with graduate students, I will use advance neuroimaging techniques (electroencephalograms, EEG; magnetic resonance imaging, MRI) to further our understanding of the brain processes that are critical for mobility. Specifically, we will examine whether mobility is associated with a “narrowing of attention” (Objective 1), underlying differences in brain structure between hemispheres (Objective 2), performance switching between two tasks, known as “task-switching” (Objective 3), and functional connectivity within and between networks of anatomically distinct brain regions (Objective 3). Importantly, my research program will: 1) contribute to the field of cognitive neuroscience by advancing our current understanding of the relationship between human attention and mobility, thus providing insight into fundamental aspects of human brain structure and function, 2) provide an opportunity to train a new generation of cognitive neuroscientists in key skills that will help them excel in research and industry, and 3) solidify Canada as a leading contributor to cognitive neuroscience research and neuroimaging techniques, placing us at the forefront of new scientific discoveries that will inform future policies and practices.**