Collaborative Research: Identifying a Neural Basis for Other-Oriented Decisions

Abstract-Identifying a neural basis for other-oriented decisions2139925Abigail A.在一个看似自私的世界里，利他主义的种子是如何发芽并茁壮成长的？这个研究项目的目标是在实验室和真实的世界中确定大脑中支持利他主义的通路。利他主义行为是指那些旨在改善他人福利的行为，而不考虑任何个人利益。他们的工作范围从开门，到做慈善礼物，再到捐肾。调查显示，许多人认为人类从根本上是自私的，不能真正的利他主义。这种信念降低了人与人之间的信任，可能会损害持有这些信念的人的福祉，并破坏社区的社会结构。然而，一些相反的证据表明，利他主义无处不在，深深植根于我们的生物学。一个是现实世界中存在着非凡的利他主义者，比如捐肾者捐肾造福匿名的陌生人。此外，最近在动物中发现了一种大脑回路，专门用于计算其他人选择的价值。该研究项目旨在验证一个假设，即人类中存在类似的大脑回路，并且该回路中的活动可能有助于解释实验室中的利他选择以及现实世界中的利他行为。该项目具有强大的外联能力，并计划向公众和媒体传播科学成果。研究人员为来自代表性不足背景的学生提供神经科学研究经验和指导，并支持他们对STEM职业的渴望。该项目鼓励社区利他主义，包括通过国家骨髓捐赠者计划捐赠器官。为了理解利他主义背后的神经机制，研究人员结合了联合收割机行为研究和全脑神经成像（使用功能磁共振成像），在广泛而多样的参与者中，从利他主义的肾脏捐赠者到典型的成年人，再到表现出反社会，自私的现实世界行为的成年人，范围沿着"关怀连续体"。调查的生活经验收集，以确定形成，发展的事件，可能塑造后来的利他行为。这项研究中的各种主题使研究人员能够寻找利他主义者与反社会和自私的成年人相比大脑活动模式的差异。神经成像测量假设的皮质边缘脑回路（包括杏仁核和前扣带皮层）和大脑其余部分的活动。为了发现利他主义是否可以增强，研究人员测试了两种简短的实验室干预是否可以增加典型成年人的利他行为。这些干预措施与功能性脑成像相结合，以便这些干预措施塑造利他行为的神经机制可以被识别。研究人员还收集了所有研究参与者的血液样本，以间接测量神经激素催产素活性的变化如何与现实世界和实验室利他主义相对应。催产素是一种神经激素，与信任和亲社会行为有关，但它的影响尚未在现实世界的利他主义者中测量，也没有与正在研究的回路中的大脑激活相关。这项研究有望提高对慷慨和利他主义背后的古代神经回路的理解，并挑战对人类利他主义能力的误解。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并被认为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来支持。

Abstract - Identifying a neural basis for other-oriented decisions2139925Abigail A. MarshGeorgetown UniversityHow do the seeds of altruism sprout and flourish in a seemingly selfish world? The goal of this research project is to identify pathways in the brain that support altruism, both in the laboratory and in the real world. Altruistic behaviors are those aimed at improving the welfare of others, without regard for any individual benefits. They range from holding open a door, to making charitable gifts, to donating a kidney. Surveys suggest that many people believe humans are fundamentally selfish and incapable of true altruism. Such beliefs reduce trust between people, can harm the well-being of the people who hold them, and damage the social fabric of a community. However, several contrary lines of evidence suggest that altruism is ubiquitous and deeply rooted in our biology. One is the existence of real-world extraordinary altruists, such as kidney donors who donate kidneys to benefit anonymous strangers. In addition, a brain circuit has recently been discovered in animals that is dedicated to calculating the value of choices for others. This research project aims to test the hypothesis that a comparable brain circuit exists in humans, and that activity in this circuit may help explain altruistic choices in the laboratory, as well as real-world altruistic behavior. This project has strong outreach and plans for dissemination of scientific findings to the public and the media. The researchers provide neuroscience research experiences and mentoring for students from underrepresented backgrounds and support their aspirations for STEM careers. The project encourages community altruism, including organ donation through the National Marrow Donor Program. To understand the neural mechanisms underlying altruism, the researchers combine behavioral studies and whole brain neuroimaging (using fMRI – functional magnetic resonance imaging) in a wide and diverse set of participants, ranging along the “caring continuum” from altruistic kidney donors to typical adults, to adults who exhibit antisocial, selfish real-world behaviors. Surveys of life experiences are collected to identify formative, developmental events that may shape later altruistic behavior. The variety of subjects in the study enable the researchers to search for differences in patterns of brain activity in altruists compared to antisocial and selfish adults. Neuroimaging measures activity in the hypothesized corticolimbic brain circuit (that includes the amygdala and the anterior cingulate cortex) and in the rest of the brain. To discover whether altruism can be enhanced, researchers test whether two brief laboratory interventions can increase altruistic behavior in typical adults. These interventions are combined with functional brain imaging so that the neural mechanisms by which these interventions shape altruistic behavior can be identified. Researchers also collect blood samples from all study participants to indirectly measure how variations in the activity of the neurohormone oxytocin correspond to real-world and laboratory altruism. Oxytocin is a neurohormone that has been associated with trust and prosocial behavior, but its effects have not yet been measured in real-world altruists, nor previously correlated with brain activation in the circuit under investigation. This research promises to improve understanding of the ancient neural circuits underlying generosity and altruism, and challenge misconceptions about the human capacity for altruism.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.