NCS-FO: Electrocortical Processes in Real World Locomotion

近年来，利用脑电图（EEG）进行移动的脑成像的技术已经发展，但是当人们在真实的世界中移动时，仍然难以捕获脑电动态。步行和跑步的身体运动会产生相当多的运动和肌肉伪影，这使得很难确定什么是真正的大脑活动。该项目提出了先进的电极技术和EEG信号处理，以便能够在实验室外的真实的世界中测量脑电活动，包括打网球，这是一项复杂的，主动的，目标导向的运动任务。该项目将使用新的方法来测量人们在大学校园里行走时的脑电活动。一些受试者将身体完好;一些将有下肢截肢。这些研究的技术和科学进步将允许未来使用的移动的EEG的临床诊断和康复，以及新的移动的脑机接口的开发。为了了解人脑如何在真实的世界中工作，有必要研究人脑在现实世界的环境和任务的动力学。静态脑功能成像技术，如磁共振成像和脑磁图，在研究人在真实的世界中移动的脑功能方面存在固有的局限性。创建和验证新的具有良好的时间和空间分辨率的移动的脑成像方法对于推进神经科学和促进非侵入性脑计算机接口用于现实世界是必要的。该项目将联合收割机高密度EEG与独立成分分析和源定位相结合，以确定参与控制和主动感知现实世界中的城市和自然环境中的移动和打网球的大脑区域。运动和肌肉伪影使主动全身运动期间的EEG数据的解释复杂化。新的硬件和软件解决方案是必要的，以提高质量的脑电图作为一个移动的大脑成像工具在运动。该项目将推进新型双层EEG电极，可以消除运动伪影并提高皮层电测量的保真度。该项目结合了认知神经科学，信号处理，传感器技术，生物力学和运动控制，以记录人类大脑动力学，这是以前从未有过的。神经技术的进步和验证将为神经科学家提供新的能力，以改变真实的世界中人类大脑功能的研究。这项研究将推动移动的脑成像技术的发展，并为健康和残疾人运动的皮层控制提供新的见解。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并被认为是值得通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估的支持。

Technology for mobile brain imaging with electroencephalography (EEG) has advanced in recent years, but it is still difficult to capture electrical brain dynamics while people move in the real world. The body movement of walking and running creates considerable motion and muscle artifacts, making it difficult to determine what is true brain activity. This project proposes to advance electrode technology and signal processing of EEG to enable measurement of brain electrical activity outside the laboratory in the real world, including playing tennis, a complex, active, goal-directed motor task. The project will use novel methods to measure brain electrical activity as people walk on a university campus. Some subjects will be physically intact; some will have lower limb amputations. The technological and scientific advancements from these studies will permit future use of mobile EEG for clinical diagnosis and rehabilitation, as well as development of new mobile brain computer interfaces.To understand how the human brain works in the real world, it is necessary to study human brain dynamics in real-world environments and tasks. Stationary functional brain imaging techniques like magnetic resonance imaging and magnetoencephalography are inherently limited in studying brain function of people moving through the real world. Creating and validating new mobile brain imaging methods with both good temporal and spatial resolution are necessary to advance neuroscience and facilitate non-invasive brain computer interfaces for real-world use. This project will combine high-density EEG with independent component analysis and source localization to identify brain areas involved in the control and active perception of moving in real-world urban and natural environments and in playing tennis. Motion and muscle artifacts complicate interpretation of EEG data during active whole body movement. New hardware and software solutions are necessary to increase the quality of EEG as a mobile brain imaging tool during locomotion. This project will advance novel dual-layer EEG electrodes that can cancel motion artifacts and improve the fidelity of electrocortical measures. The project combines cognitive neuroscience, signal processing, sensor technology, biomechanics, and motor control to make recordings of human brain dynamics that have never been made before. The advances and validation of neurotechnology will provide neuroscientists with new capabilities to transform the study of human brain function in the real world. This research will advance technology for mobile brain imaging and provide new insight into the cortical control of human movement in health and disability.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.