The Children's Research Initiative: Integrative Approaches - CRI: The Study of Brain-Behavior Relations in the Context of Development

在过去的十年里，在阐明人类认知和情感的神经基础方面取得了巨大的进展。遗憾的是，在理解这些功能的发展方面没有取得类似的进展。这是不幸的，因为对发育的研究不仅本身很重要，而且对理解成熟功能也有影响。例如，从发育研究中获得的知识可以提供关于大脑如何完成使行为成为可能的任务的有用信息。当一个人发现一个特定的过程以一个特定的顺序出现时，这表明一个系统提供的经验可能被用来发展下一个系统。当几个不同的过程在开发过程中同时出现时，这表明一个共同的机制可能是所有这些活动的基础。理解经验和成熟对行为系统的影响是发展方法的核心关注点。发展研究使寻找敏感期成为可能，并提出了一个问题：是什么大脑变化导致了敏感期的结束。本中心拨款计划提案的总体目标是利用在成人认知和情感神经科学方面取得的成果，并将这些成果扩展到发展研究。明尼苏达大学的神经行为发展中心（CNBD）将成为这项应用的大本营。组成CNBD的教师是由一群兼而有之的教师组成的，他们在发展背景下对大脑和行为之间的关系有共同的兴趣。CNBD教师在各个领域都有优势，并特别针对以下四个领域的调查研究：(a)感觉和知觉系统的组织；(b)记忆的发展；(c)作为认知结构的注意力和执行功能的发展，并为情绪和行为调节服务；(d)情绪和压力调节。虽然组成CNBD的许多教员过去曾合作过，但由于这是一个新中心，它的参与者还没有像期望的那样融合得很好。这项规划赠款将促进这种整合。计划阶段的项目活动将包括a)“亲和小组”会议；其中，志同道合的教师将定期会面，讨论共同的兴趣，b)邀请来自其他大学的客座演讲者，他们的研究兴趣与CNBD教师的研究兴趣重叠，c)邀请顾问到CNBD，这将有助于确定全体教师共同的主题，d) CNBD主任（和本申请的PI）访问美国各地的其他中心主任，e)举办教师静修活动。

The Study of Brain-Behavior Relations in the Context of DevelopmentCharles NelsonOver the past decade, tremendous strides have been made in elucidating the neural underpinnings of human cognition and emotion. Regrettably, similar gains have not been made in understanding the development of these functions. This is unfortunate, as the study of development is not only important in its own right, but also has implications for understanding mature function. For example, knowledge gained from the study of development can provide useful information with regard to how the brain accomplishes the tasks that makes behavior possible. When one finds that a particular process appears in a particular sequence it suggests that experience provided by one system may be used to grow the next. When several different processes all appear at the same time in development, it suggests that a common mechanism may underlie all of these activities. Understanding the effects of experience and maturation on a behavioral system are central concerns of the developmental approach. Developmental studies make it possible to search for sensitive periods and raise the question of what brain changes bring a sensitive period to an end. The overall objective of this center grant planning proposal is to capitalize on the gains being made in adult cognitive and affective neuroscience and extend these gains to the study of development. The Center for Neurobehavioral Development (CNBD) at the University of Minnesota will be home to this application. The faculty that comprise the CNBD are made up of an eclectic group of faculty that collectively have in common an interest in the relation between brain and behavior in the context of development. The CNBD faculty has strengths in a variety of areas, and have specifically targeted for investigation studies that focus on the following four areas: (a) The organization of sensory and perceptual systems (b) The development of memory, (c) The development of attention and executive functions as cognitive constructs and in the service of emotion and behavior regulation, and (d) Emotion and stress regulation. Although many of the faculty that comprise the CNBD have worked together in the past, because this is a new center, its participants are not yet as well integrated as would be desirable. This planning grant will facilitate such integration. Project activities during the planning phase will consist of a) meeting of "affinity groups," in which like-minded faculty will meet on a regular basis to discuss common interests, b) inviting guest speakers from other universities whose research interests overlap with those of CNBD faculty, c) inviting consultants to the CNBD that will help identify themes common to the full faculty, d) having the Director of the CNBD (and PI of this application) visit with other center directors around the US, and e) hosting a faculty retreat.