Neural Mechanisms in Learned Multitasking Improvements

这个项目的总体目标是了解大脑如何在多任务处理能力方面实现习得的改进。多任务处理是一种复杂的认知过程，普遍存在于日常生活中，从走路时发短信到开车时看路牌。众所周知，在多任务处理期间，与独立执行任务时相比，这两项任务都会导致性能下降。幸运的是，通过实践和学习，多任务处理的成本可能会降低。然而，大脑如何让我们提高多任务处理能力仍然难以捉摸。这个项目通过研究训练是否可以改善多任务处理的性能，以及伴随着这种改善而来的大脑反应的变化来研究这些问题。它还将使用影响大脑活动的干预措施，这些干预措施本身可能会改善多任务处理。当前项目的重要性在于促进这一领域有限的科学知识，并使与更广泛的社会相关的多种活动和成果成为可能。除了科学工作，该项目还将为高中生和大学生提供几个志愿者机会。对于所有这些职位，STEM教育领域的妇女、残疾人和少数族裔都将受到高度鼓励。其次，这项研究产生的知识将通过开源出版物、公开讲座和媒体向公众传播。这些发现将加强我们对多任务处理能力的理解，并开发针对患有认知衰退或学习障碍的人群的治疗方法。这个项目的总体目标是解决这样的假设，即前额叶皮质内的区域依赖theta带(4-7赫兹)振荡来增强和优化多任务处理能力。为了实现这一点，在参与者进行多任务处理时，将在前额叶皮质上方的theta带应用经颅交流电刺激(Tacs)：同时进行视觉运动跟踪任务的视觉辨别。当参与者进行多任务处理时，将连续三天进行经颅刺激。参与者将在Tacs后一天和一个月接受评估，以评估刺激前额叶皮质上方的theta是否有助于学习多任务处理能力的提高。此外，脑电(EEG)数据将用于评估振荡活动的变化，以支持学习的多任务改进。据推测，影响theta振荡的Tacs刺激将在改善多任务绩效方面特别有效，潜在地影响额叶theta脑电信号的振荡功率。为了评估这些习得的多任务处理能力的改善是否源于前额叶皮质的变化，我们将从每个参与者那里收集磁共振成像(MRI)数据，并使用这些数据来形成Tacs诱导的大脑电场的个性化模型。假设由于解剖学上的差异阻碍了Tacs电流流入大脑，在内侧前额叶皮质具有更大模拟电场的参与者将显示出最大的前额叶theta振荡增加和多任务处理能力的最大改善。这项拟议的研究将直接评估大脑网络在多任务处理能力方面的学习改进机制。这一奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The overall aim of this project is to understand how the brain enables learned improvements in multitasking ability. Multitasking is a complex cognitive process that is prevalent in everyday life, from texting while walking to driving while reading a street sign. It is well established that during multitasking, both tasks are associated with performance declines, as compared to when the tasks are independently performed. Fortunately, through practice and learning, multitasking costs may be reduced. Yet, how the brain enables us to enhance multitasking performance remains elusive. This project investigates these questions by studying whether training can improve multitasking performance, as well as the changes in brain responses that accompany such improvement. It will also use interventions that impact brain activity and that may themselves produce multitasking improvement. The importance of the current project is in advancing the limited scientific knowledge in this domain, and in enabling multiple activities and outcomes that will be relevant to society more broadly. Apart from the scientific work, this project will offer several volunteer opportunities for high school and college students. For all these positions, women, persons with disabilities and minorities in STEM education will be highly encouraged to apply. Second, the knowledge generated by this research will be disseminated to the public through open-source publications, public lectures, and media outlets. These findings will enhance our understanding of multitasking ability, and developing therapeutics to target populations who suffer from this cognitive decline or learning disorders. The overall aim of this project is to address the hypothesis that regions within prefrontal cortex rely on theta band (4-7 Hz) oscillations to enhance and optimize multitasking ability. To achieve this, transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) will be applied in the theta band above prefrontal cortex while participants are engaged in multitasking: visual discrimination with a concurrent visuomotor tracking task. Transcranial stimulation will be applied on three consecutive days while participants are engaged in multitasking. Participants will be assessed one day and one month after tACS to assess whether theta stimulation above the prefrontal cortex facilitates learned improvements in multitasking. Additionally, electroencephalography (EEG) data will be used to assess changes in oscillatory activity that supports learned multitasking improvements. It is hypothesized that tACS stimulations that impact theta oscillations will be particularly effective in improving multitasking performance, potentially impacting frontal theta EEG oscillatory power. To evaluate whether these learned multitasking improvements arise from alterations within the prefrontal cortex, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data will be collected from each participant and used to form individualized models of the tACS-induced electric fields in the brain. It is hypothesized that due to anatomical differences that impede tACS current flow to the brain, participants with greater modeled electric fields in the medial prefrontal cortex will exhibit the greatest increases in prefrontal theta oscillations and the largest improvements in multitasking ability. The proposed research will provide a direct assessment of mechanisms by which brain networks give rise to learned improvements in multitasking ability.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.