Acquisition of a Cognitive and Vision Science Laboratory Major Instrumentation Program (MRI) Grant

在美国国家科学基金会的主要研究仪器基金的支持下，Jose E.位于西校区的亚利桑那州立大学的Nenez将获得一套仪器，用于视觉感知和神经元组织的研究。仪器包括各种设备和计算系统，包括：Macintosh G5计算机与高分辨率显示器，黄斑色素密度计，时间对比敏感度设备，光度计辐射计，视觉分辨率超敏设备，和眼动仪。奔腾4计算机系统将用于培训研究过程中的本科生。虽然一些相关的研究目标将被追求，一个中心目标是探索大脑可塑性和临界闪烁融合之间的关系，视觉皮层的背流内的神经元的信息处理效率的指标。临界闪烁融合是将中央视野内呈现的闪烁光融合成稳定的光流的能力，并且反映了神经处理的基本方面。在之前的研究中，Nanez博士和他的合作者已经证明，与先前的信念相反，可塑性存在于人类成年人视觉皮层的神经元中。因此，神经元在婴儿期和幼儿期并不是固定的。研究人员现在希望确定中年和老年人视觉皮层V1区的可塑性的存在和程度，以及这是否也可以改变。这些结果不仅有可能为基本的神经机制提供新的见解，而且还提供了提高诵读困难和阅读能力差的个体有效功能的方法。 该仪器的收购将允许创建两个完全可操作的研究单位，除了促进高级科学家的研究，还将为本科生提供监督，增值的研究培训和实践经验。

With support from the National Science Foundation's Major Research Instrumentation grant, Dr. Jose E. Nenez, Sr. of Arizona State University at the West Campus will acquire a suite of instrumentation to pursue research in visual perception and neuronal organization. The instrumentation consists of a variety of devices and computing systems that include: Macintosh G5 computers with high resolution monitors, a macular pigment densitometer, a temporal contrast sensitivity device, a photometer-radiometer, a visual resolution hyperacuity device, and an eye tracker. Pentium 4 computer systems will be used for training undergraduate students in the research process. Although a number of related research goals will be pursued, a central goal is to explore the relationship between brain plasticity and critical flicker fusion, an indicator of efficiency of information processing in neurons within the dorsal stream of the visual cortex. Critical flicker fusion is the ability to fuse a flickering light presented within the central visual field into a steady light stream and reflects basic aspects of neural processing. In prior research Dr. Nanez and his collaborators have demonstrated that, contrary to prior beliefs, plasticity exists in the neurons within the visual cortex of human adults. Thus the neurons are not hard wired in infancy and early childhood. The researchers now wish to determine the presence and degree of plasticity in Area V1 of the visual cortex of middle-age and older humans and whether this can be altered as well. The results have the potential not only to provide new insight into basic neural mechanisms but also provide methods to increase effective functioning in individuals with dyslexia and poor reading ability. The acquisition of this instrumentation will permit the creation of two fully-operational research units and in addition to facilitating senior scientists' research will also provide undergraduates with supervised, value-added research training and hands-on experience.