FMR Imaging of Eye Stabilization Processes

描述：(申请者摘要)视觉需要投射在 视网膜保持稳定。检测视觉稳定眼睛的机制 视网膜图像的扰动和产生眼球运动的目的 补偿这样的骚乱。在人类和猴子身上，有着复杂的 中心凹双眼视觉，有超高速、高度专业化的皮质 能够解码和补偿复杂视觉的眼睛稳定系统 由观测者自身运动引起的结构扰动 三维环境。 拟议的试验性研究将集中于开发技术和 功能磁共振成像所需的实验方案 (FMRI)警觉行为猴子的这种过程和获得 随后将在初步数据的基础上制定一项深入研究建议。 对猴子进行的广泛的行为和单一单位研究表明，即使是 如果起源于皮质，神经元的激活和相关的眼动反应 与这种系统相关联的是与刺激开始密切相关的 具有类似机器的重复性。这使它们成为功能磁共振研究的理想选择。 此外，有强有力的证据表明，这种反应是由 与视觉感知直接相关的皮质区域。一种系统性的操纵 因此可以用来探测潜在的神经元 然后，感知就建立在这些过程之上。他们的反射性天性 也将被用作优化功能磁共振序列和提取的工具 算法，以及对fMRI信号的时间发展的分析， 包括最近发现的“快速反应”。 侵入性研究的神经元数据与获得的功能磁共振数据的匹配 在相同的动物身上使用相同的方案将是一个无价的开始 这一点可用于解释类似的人体功能磁共振研究。比较 对这些反应的研究突出了几乎惊人的相似之处 在这两个物种之间，表明了相似的潜在神经元结构。 有许多关于神经解剖学和功能的未决问题 猴子和人类之间的通信，这项先导研究的目标是 提出一种新颖、有力的工具来解决此类关键问题 对于理解人脑的重要性。

DESCRIPTION: (Applicant's Abstract) Vision requires the images projected on the retina to remain stable. Visual eye-stabilization mechanisms detect perturbations of the retinal images and generate eye movements aimed at compensating for such disturbances. In humans and monkeys, with sophisticated foveal binocular vision, there are ultra-fast, highly specialized cortical eye-stabilization systems able to decode and compensate for the complex visual perturbations caused by the observer's own motion in a structured three-dimensional environment. The proposed pilot study will be centered on developing the technology and the experimental protocols needed for the functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) of such processes in alert behaving monkeys and the acquisition of preliminary data on which a in-depth study proposal will then be developed. Extensive behavioral and single-unit studies in monkeys have shown that, even if cortical in origin, the neuronal activation and related oculomotor responses associated with such systems are closely time-locked to the stimulus onset and of machine-like repeatability. This makes them ideal for fMRI studies. Furthermore, there is strong evidence that such responses are generated by cortical areas directly linked to visual perception. A systematic manipulation of the visual stimuli can therefore be used to probe the underlying neuronal processes on which perception is then constructed. Their reflex-like nature will also be used as tool for the optimization of fMRI sequences and extraction algorithms, and the analysis of the temporal development of the fMRI signal, included the recently discovered "fast response". The matching of neuronal data from invasive studies with fMRI data obtained with identical protocols in the same animals will be an invaluable starting point for the interpretation of similar fMRI studies on humans. Comparative studies of those responses have highlighted almost astonishing similarities between the two species, suggesting a similar underlying neuronal structure. There are many open questions regarding the neuro anatomical and functional correspondences between monkeys and humans and the goal of this pilot study is to propose a novel, powerful tool for solving such issues of critical importance for the understanding of the human brain.