The Neuroeconomics of Self-Control in Dieting Populations

这个奖项是根据2009年《美国复苏和再投资法案》(公法111-5)提供资金的。例子包括肥胖、上瘾和低储蓄水平。毫不奇怪，考虑到自控的重要性，自控问题几个世纪以来一直是人们研究的主题。然而，尽管做出了这些努力，我们仍然没有回答一些基本的问题，比如：大脑的哪些方面？S的决策回路会导致诱惑和自我控制问题？为什么有些人在锻炼自我控制方面比其他人强得多？可以做些什么来提高大脑？S锻炼自我控制的能力？在这项研究中，首席研究人员计划使用神经经济学的新工具和技术(特别是功能磁共振成像、扩散张量成像和重复的经颅磁刺激)来解决这些问题。这项研究涉及研究节食者在决定吃什么食物时的大脑。成功的节食者和不成功的节食者的大脑连接模式将被比较，以表明大脑中负责诱惑和自我控制的区域。大脑中负责自我控制的区域？还将使用经颅磁刺激来研究背外侧前额叶皮质，这可能会导致自我控制能力的提高。

"This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009(Public Law 111-5)."Self-control problems are at the core of many of the public policy challenges facing the United States. Examples include obesity, addiction, and low levels of savings. Not surprisingly, given its importance, the problem of self-control has been the subject of inquiry for many centuries. However, despite these efforts we still do not have answers to basic questions such as: What aspects of the brain?s decision making circuitry lead to temptation and self-control problems? Why are some brains much better at exercising self-control than others? What can be done to improve the brain?s ability to exercise self-control? In this research, the Principal Investigators plan to use the new tools and techniques of neuroeconomics (especially functional magnetic resonance imaging, diffusion tensor imaging, and repeated transcranial magnetic stimulation) to address these questions. The research involves studying the brains of dieters while they make decisions about which food they want to eat. The brain patterns of connectivity exhibited by successful and unsuccessful dieters will be compared to indicate the regions of the brain responsible for temptation and for self-control. The region of the brain thought to be responsible for self control ? the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex -- will also be studied using transcranial magnetic stimulation which may induce improvements in self-control.