Multimodal mapping of the human face perception

描述(申请人提供)：磁共振成像(MRI)非侵入性地提供活脑的结构和功能信息的独特组合，从而产生关于人脑功能结构的位置的信息。然而，仅凭这样的定位信息，人脑信息处理的“如何”就会变得模糊起来。这项提议的总体目标有两个。首先，我们的目标是定义一种新的方法，用于对大脑结构的功能和“轴突”特征进行多模式映射。为此，通过利用超高场7特斯拉磁铁的优势，我们假设，在7特斯拉的超高场扩散张量成像(DTI)与亚毫米分辨率的功能磁共振成像相结合，将在人体内首次提供功能域与潜在神经元电路之间的直接对应。然后，这种新方法将被用于第二个目的。在这里，高分辨率扩散张量成像(DTI)将与超高分辨率功能磁共振成像(FMRI)相结合，从包括梭形面部区域(FFA)在内的人类腹侧视觉流中获得。虽然FFA已被确定为主要的候选或人脸和复杂对象处理，但实际的神经电路-上升到其计算能力仍然难以捉摸。我们假设，本研究中提出的在7特斯拉联合使用fMRI和DTI将在人类枕腹区的功能区和潜在的皮质回路之间提供非常细粒度的对应。为此，我们特别假设，与来自同一区域的月面选择性体素相比，人类梭形脸部区域(FFA)中的面孔选择性元音与腹侧和/或背侧视觉通路的其余部分的连接模式不同。这个研究网络由代表广泛研究专业的研究人员组成，包括认知神经成像MR物理学、视觉神经科学、计算神经科学和功能磁共振数据处理。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) provides an unique combination of structural and functional information of the living brain non.invasively, thus yielding information about the where of the human brain's functional architecture. Such localization information alone however must leave pivotal questions about the "HOW" of the human brain's information processing obscured. The overall objective of this proposal is twofold. First, we aim to define a novel method for multimode mapping of the functional and "axonal" signatures of the brain's architecture. To this end, by taking advantage of the ultra-high field 7 Tesla magnet, we hypothesize that "Diffusion Tensor Imaging" (DTI) in combination with sub millimeter resolution functional MRI at 7 Tesla will provide the very first direct correspondences between the functional domains and the underlying neuronal circuitry in humans in vivo. This new method will then be used for the second aim. Here, high resolution Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) will be acquired in conjunction with ultra-high resolution fMRI from the human ventral visual stream including the Fusiform Face Area (FFA). While FFA has been determined as the prime candidate or human face and complex object processing, the actual neural circuitry-giving rising to its computational capabilities remain elusive. We hypothesize that the combined use fMRI and DTI in 7 Tesla as proposed in this study will provide exceedingly fine grained correspondences between functional domains in human occipito-ventral areas and the underlying cortical circuitry. To this end, we specifically hypothesize that the "face" selective vowels in the human Fusiform Face Area (FFA) differ in their connectivity pattern to the rest of the ventral and/or dorsal visual pathway in comparison to the moonfaced selective voxels from the same area. This research network consists of investigators representing a vast range of research expertises including cognitive neuroimaging MR physics, visual neurosciences, computational neurosciences, and fMRI data processing.