Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Device for Brain Imaging

购买情感神经科学领域的近红外光谱设备(NIRS)：临床心理生理学实验室在实验精神病理学中使用生物学方法。一系列全面配备的外围心理生理学和皮层测量设备可供我们使用。现在，现有的实验室基础设施将与近红外光谱设备(NIRS)相辅相成。近红外光谱是一种现代大脑成像技术，它利用了这样一个事实，即某些频段的光可以穿透生物组织，并以非常特殊的方式被含氧的血红蛋白反射。根据产生的信号，可以对皮质区域的功能激活进行成像。与其他成像技术相比，该设备更经济实惠，维护成本更低，使用更方便，无创，实验范式更灵活。特别是，近红外光谱是静默的，这是相对于其他成像技术(如功能磁共振成像)的主要优势。申请资助的研究小组在之前的其他地方的合作中收集了这项技术的经验，并就未来如何捆绑外部合作者的能力以及他们如何在实验室获得设备提出了详细的计划。拨款提案记录了必要的基础设施的存在，描述了科学家的能力，并解释了实验室提供的技术支持。提案中介绍了六个项目的选择，这些项目可以建立在实验室以前确立的范例基础上，并将从纳入国家研究报告中受益匪浅。此外，还详细介绍了合作者的其他项目，这些项目有望刺激申请者的技术专长进行实质性的技术交流。综上所述，这些项目涵盖了关于基本情感处理和精神病理学的广泛主题。他们证明，该设备将被广泛使用，它的使用有望为更好地理解功能和功能失调的情绪处理的神经元关联做出重大贡献。

Purchase of a near-infrared spectroscopy device (NIRS) in the area of affective neuroscience: The Clinical Psychophysiology Lab uses biological methods within experimental psychopathology. A comprehensively equipped array of devices for peripheral psychophysiology and electrocortical measures is available at our disposal. Now, the existing laboratory infrastructure shall be complemented with a near-infrared spectroscopy device (NIRS). Near-infrared spectroscopy is a modern brain imaging technology which makes use of the fact that certain frequency bands of light can penetrate biological tissue (of the scull) and are reflected in a very specific way by oxygenated hemoglobin. From the resulting signal functional activations of cortical areas can be imaged. Contrary to other imaging techniques, this device is more affordable and maintenance costs are lower, it is more convenient to use, non-invasive and it is more flexible in experimental paradigms. In particular, NIRS is silent, which is a major advantage over other imaging techniques (such as fMRI). The research group that applies for funding has gathered experience with this technology in previous collaborations at other places and presents a detailed plan on how the competencies of external collaborators will be tied-in in the future and how they will gain access to the device at the lab. The grant proposal documents the existence of the necessary infrastructure, describes the scientists’ competencies and explains the technical support which is available at the lab. A selection of six projects is described in the proposal that can build upon previously established paradigms in the lab and which will greatly benefit from the inclusion of NIRS. Moreover, additional projects of the collaborators are detailed which promise to stimulate substantial technological cross-fertilization for the applicants’ technological expertise. Taken together, these projects cover a wide range of themes on basic affective processing and on psychopathology. They demonstrate that the device will be used intensively and that its use promises to be a significant contribution to a better understanding of neuronal correlates of functional and dysfunctional emotion processing.