Replacing Failing Equipment: Acquisition of New EEG Systems

我们生活中的每一天都被迫做出影响我们的决定，当我们的决定的结果与我们预期的不同时，我们希望从这些错误中吸取教训。自成立以来，维多利亚大学的克里格森实验室一直在研究学习和决策背后的神经系统的令人兴奋的系列研究中保持着高水平的研究成果。简而言之，我们的实验室在两个主要重点领域进行基础科学研究。在第一个重点领域学习-我们检查神经学习信号如何与随后的行为变化相一致。在第二个重点领域，决策，我们正在努力寻找启发式和分析性决策过程的神经关联。在这两个研究领域，我们最近都取得了成功，导致了许多同行评议的出版物。此外，在从事这些研究的同时，克里格森实验室还培训了大量的研究生和本科生基础神经科学技术。*在本建议书中，我们要求两套脑电(EEG)数据采集系统取代现已过时的两套较旧的EEG系统。我们无法再向供应商购买这些系统的更换部件。鉴于我们是一个神经科学实验室，探索构成学习和决策基础的神经系统，这些脑电系统是我们实验室的关键设备，因为它们允许我们直接测量大脑功能(即所谓的“脑电波”)。*我们研究计划的基础科学部分是基础性的，它是从字面上提高我们对构成学习和决策基础的神经系统的理解。例如，我们想更好地了解神经学习信号是如何产生的，它们是在哪里产生的，以及影响这些信号的条件和这意味着什么。但我们在学习方面的基础科学研究在现实世界中有着重要的应用。例如，想象一下，一位老师只要看着电脑显示屏，就能实时跟踪学生的学习情况，并读出学生大脑中实际发生的事情。我们研究项目关注决策的基本科学目标也是理解目标之一。然而，就像我们在学习方面的研究一样，有一些令人兴奋的现实应用程序。例如，提高我们对医生做出决定的原因的理解，更重要的是向医生提供反馈，帮助他们避免条件反射地做出可能对患者预后产生负面影响的启发式决定。*通过我们的研究计划，重要的是，随着这一新硬件的获得，我们的研究计划将继续并不断发展。这让加拿大受益--这项研究有可能对我们的日常生活质量产生积极影响，培养能够加入加拿大经济的实习生，并提高我们对大脑的理解，以便更好地了解我们自己的生活。**

Each day of our lives we are forced to make decisions that impact us, and when the outcome of our decisions is not what we expected, we hope to learn from these mistakes. Since its inception, the Krigolson Lab at the University of Victoria has maintained a high level of research output in exciting lines of research investigating the neural systems underlying learning and decision-making. In brief, our laboratory does basic scientific research in two main focus areas. In the first focus area learning - we examine how neural learning signals align with subsequent changes in behaviour. In the second focus area, decision-making, we are trying to find the neural correlates of heuristic and analytical decision processes. In both research lines, we have had recent success that has resulted in numerous peer-reviewed publications. Additionally, while pursuing these lines of research the Krigolson Lab has trained a large number of graduate and undergraduate HQP in basic neuroscience techniques. *** In this proposal, we request two electroencephalographic (EEG) data collection systems to replace two older EEG systems that are now obsolete we are no longer able to purchase replacement parts for these systems from the supplier. Given that we are a neuroscience laboratory probing the neural systems that underlie learning and decision-making, these EEG systems are the key piece of equipment in our laboratory as they allow us to directly measure brain function (i.e., so called “brain waves”). ***The basic science portion of our research program is foundational it is to literally improve our understanding of the neural systems that underlie learning and decision-making. For instance, we want to better understand how neural learning signals are generated, where they are generated, and the conditions that impact these signals and what that means. But our basic scientific research in learning has important real-world application. For example, imagine a teacher being able to track student learning in real-time by simply looking at a computer display and getting a readout of what was actually happening in the student's brain. The basic science goal of our research program focus in decision-making is also one of understanding. However, as with our research in learning there are exciting real-world applications. For instance, improving our understanding of why medical doctors make the decisions they do and more importantly provide feedback to the doctors to help them avoid making heuristic decisions reflexively that may have a negative impact on patient outcomes. *** With our research program, and importantly with the acquisition of this new hardware our research program will continue and grow. And this benefits Canada - research that has the potential to make a positive impact on the quality of our daily lives, to develop trainees that can join the Canadian economy, and to improve our understanding of the brain in order to better inform us about our own lives.**