Imaging the Human Reward System Across the Adult Life Span

描述（由申请人提供）：20世纪人类预期寿命的延长将继续扩大全球人口中老年人的比例，放大他们与健康有关的和财务决策的相对经济影响。因此，更好地描述和理解成人一生中奖赏处理和决策过程中与年龄相关的变化是越来越必要的。新的活体脑成像技术使用磁共振成像（MRI）和正电子发射断层扫描（PET）现在允许更精确地测量人类奖励系统。现在，使用超高场强7特斯拉核磁共振扫描仪，可以对整个大脑结构进行非常详细的可视化。在高场强下使用高分辨率方案（即，有选择地测量大脑的一个部分的切片处方）有可能在结构和功能上分离奖励系统中的单个核。现在可以使用PET成像中的放射配体[18F]来测量纹状体和纹状体外（如中脑、额叶皮质）区域的多巴胺受体可用性。这些成像技术促进了以前无法实现的对整个大脑的深度测量。这项奖学金的主要目的是培训申请人使用新的方法来成像整个成人生命周期的人类奖励系统。培训还将包括通过指导阅读扩大申请人的知识基础，磨练教学和指导技能，以及建立实验室和拨款管理技能，以确保申请人在整个职业生涯中取得生产力和成功。具体目标是训练申请人(1)使用高分辨率，超高场强，（7-特斯拉）MRI来检查成年期间中脑单个亚区与年龄相关的结构和功能变化，(2)结合[18F]fallypride PET和功能性MRI来表征健康成人中多巴胺受体可用性与奖励处理和行为控制方面之间的关联，以及(3)整合结构（MRI）和功能（PET）。fMRI)测量神经完整性来研究从青年到中年决策的年龄相关变化。所有目标的目标是精确描述与年龄相关的认知变化，特别是与决策和行为控制相关的神经变化。该奖学金将支持申请人在老年认知神经科学领域成为独立心理科学家的下一阶段培训。在完成培训后，申请人的目标是将这些新方法结合起来，不仅更精确地量化人类奖励系统中与年龄相关的变化，而且还研究这些变化在整个成人生命周期中的影响。申请人职业生涯的长期目标是进行基础科学研究，直接有助于旨在缓解老年人日常生活中的认知紧张和改善情绪和经济健康的干预措施。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Increases in human life expectancy over the twentieth century will continue to expand the proportion of older adults in the global population, magnifying the relative economic impact of their health-related and financial decisions. Thus, it is increasingly imperative to better characterize and understand age-related changes in reward processing and decision making across the adult life span. New in vivo brain imaging techniques using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET) now allow more precise measurement of the human reward system. Highly detailed visualization of structures across the brain is now possible using ultra high field strength 7-Tesla MRI scanners. The use of high-resolution protocols (i.e., slice prescriptions that selectively measure a subsection of the brain) at high field strength has the potential to both structurally and functionally dissociate individual nuclei in the reward system. Measurement of dopamine receptor availability in both striatal and extrastriatal (e.g., midbrain, frontal cortical) regions is now possible using the radioligand [18F]fallypride in PET imaging. These imaging techniques facilitate previously unavailable in-depth measurement across the brain. The main objective of this fellowship grant is to train the applicant in the use of novel methods for imaging the human reward system across the adult life span. Training will also include broadening the applicant's base of knowledge through directed reading, honing teaching and mentoring skills, and building laboratory and grant management skills to ensure productivity and success throughout the applicant's career. The specific aims are to train the applicant to (1) use high-resolution, ultra high field strength, (7-Tesla) MRI to examine structural and functional age-related changes in individual subregions of the midbrain across adulthood, (2) combine [18F]fallypride PET and functional MRI to characterize associations between dopamine receptor availability and aspects of reward processing and behavioral control in healthy adults, and (3) integrate structural (MRI) and functional (PET, fMRI) measures of neural integrity to investigate age-related changes in decision making from young adulthood to middle age. The goal of all aims is to precisely characterize the neural changes underlying age-related changes in cognition, specifically related to decision making and behavioral control. The fellowship will support the next stage of training on the applicant's path to becoming an independent psychological scientist in the cognitive neuroscience of aging. After completion of training, the applicant's goal is to combine these new methods to not only more precisely quantify age-related change in the human reward system but also to investigate the implications of these changes throughout the adult life span. The long-term goal of the applicant's career is to conduct basic scientific research that contributes directly to interventions aimed at easing the cognitive strain and improving emotional and economic health in the daily lives of aging adults.