Development of Neural Systems Underlying Learning and Response to Novelty

描述（由申请人提供）：这是一个修订后的K 01提案，旨在培养神经影像学应用于基于环境统计学的学习发展调查的专业知识，即基于频率和联想的学习。候选人已经制定了详细的职业发展计划，包括教学课程，神经影像学研讨会，以及持续的监督，培训和咨询领域专家。拟议的培训将在康奈尔大学威尔医学院萨克勒研究所进行。萨克勒拥有几位世界知名的认知发育神经科学家，是少数几个完全致力于使用神经成像技术进行发育研究的设施之一。在以前的工作中，我们发现纹状体参与简单的基于频率的学习，海马参与联想学习。我们将检验这一假设，即虽然这些形式的学习在发育早期是完整的，但在学习期间有效维持信息的能力以及在学习信息被新信息侵犯时调整行为的能力随着潜在的神经回路（例如，额纹状体和额海马回路）。刺激呈现和/或与其他刺激相关联的频率的统计操纵将是主要操纵。婴儿的眼跳潜伏期，以及儿童、青少年和成人的眼跳潜伏期和反应时间将被用作行为依赖性测量。在一个单独的会议中，功能磁共振成像（fMRI）和扩散张量成像（DTI）将用于相同的儿童，青少年和成人，以评估大脑区域的招募变化以及这些区域之间的连接作为学习和发展的函数。这些研究对早产和极低出生体重（VLBW，< 1500克）的儿童具有重要意义，这些儿童在围产期极易受到轻微的纹状体和海马损伤，其中约40%的儿童将有一定的学习障碍。通过跟踪该电路在典型发育过程中的学习功能变化，这些研究将为临床研究奠定基础，这些研究可以识别该早产儿和VLBW人群中的精确学习中断（特定于纹状体或海马电路）和相关结果以及学习障碍。K 01研究将提供一种限制未来临床研究数据解释的方法。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This is a revised K01 proposal designed to foster expertise in the application of neuroimaging to a developmental investigation of learning based on environmental statistics, namely frequency and association-based learning. The candidate has formulated a detailed career development plan composed of didactic coursework, neuroimaging workshops, and ongoing supervision, training, and consultation with field experts. The proposed training will be conducted at the Sackler Institute at the Weill Medical College of Cornell University. The Sackler houses several world-renowned cognitive developmental neuroscientists and is one of the few facilities dedicated entirely to developmental research using neuroimaging technology. In previous work, we found the striatum to be involved in simple frequency-based learning and the hippocampus to be involved in associative learning. We will test the hypothesis that while these forms of learning are intact early in development, the ability to efficiently maintain information during learning and adjust behavior when learned information is violated by novel information develops more gradually as the underlying neural circuitry (e.g., frontostriatal and frontohippocampal circuits) is organized. Statistical manipulations in the frequency with which stimuli are presented and/or associated with other stimuli will be the primary manipulation. Saccade latency in infants, and both saccade latency and reaction times in children, adolescents, and adults will be used as behavioral dependent measures. In a separate session, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI)will be used with the same children, adolescents, and adults to assess changes in the recruitment of brain areas and in connectivity between these areas as a function of learning and development. These studies have significant implications for children born preterm and very low birth weight (VLBW, < 1500 grams) who are highly susceptible to subtle striatal and hippocampal injury in the perinatal period, and approximately 40% of who will have some learning disability. By tracking changes in the learning functions of this circuitry across typical development, these studies will lay the foundation for clinical studies that can identify precise learning disruption (specific to striatal or hippocampal circuitry) and associated outcomes and learning disabilities in this preterm and VLBW population. The K01 studies will provide a means by which interpretations of data from future clinical studies can be constrained.