IDENTIFYING NONLINEAR PROCESSES IN THE TIME ESTIMATION

该项目的长期目标是确定时间感知的认知机制。该建议的具体目的是确定多巴胺能和胆碱能调节时间估计的药理学机制，并确定时间非线性的来源（时钟或记忆）。这些目标的基本原理是，如果不确定时间非线性过程的来源，就不可能提供对时间感知的完整理解。提出的研究的中心假设是，非线性的来源可以通过使用独立评估时钟和记忆过程的行为和药理操作来确定。将使用多种选择性激动剂和拮抗剂建立药理学特异性。为了研究非线性过程，有必要研究许多紧密间隔的区间条件。时钟和记忆机制的非线性将通过检查非线性在药理学操作下的潜在变化来解离。整体结果将是一个精确的时间组件是非线性的陈述。这一结果预计将对该领域产生重大影响，因为时间感知的主要理论是在线性而不是非线性时间上发现的。了解非线性现象如何影响时间感知将是第一次触手可及。理解计时机制是必要的，因为计时涉及到行为的许多方面。由于时间感知的主要理论是建立在线性而非非线性时间上的，因此确定非线性时间加工的机制有望对该领域产生重大影响。

The long-term objective of the project is to identify the cognitive mechanisms of time perception. The specific aims of this proposal are to identify the pharmacological mechanisms of dopaminergic and cholinergic modulation of time estimation and to identify the source (clock or memory) of non-linearities in timing. The rationale underlying these aims is that, without identify the source of non-linear processes in timing, it is not possible to provide a complete understanding of time perception. The central hypothesis of the proposed research is that the source of non-linearities may be identified by using behavioral and pharmacological manipulations that independently evaluate clock and memory processes. Pharmacological specificity will be established using multiple selective agonists and antagonists. To examine non-linear processes, it is necessary to examine many, closely spaced interval conditions. Non-linearities in clock and memory mechanisms will be dissociated by examining potential shifts in non-linearities under pharmacological manipulations. The overall outcome will be a precise statement of which timing component is non-linear. This result is expected to have a significant impact on the field because major theories of time perception were found on linear rather than non-linear timing. Understanding how non-linear phenomena affect time perception would be within reach for the first time. It is necessary to understand timing mechanisms because timing is involved in many aspects of behavior. Identifying the mechanisms of non-linear temporal processing is expected to have a significant impact on the field because major theories of time perception were founded on liner rather than non-linear timing.