Tracking development of global visual function using high-density eeg

描述(由申请人提供)：本提案的目的是支持一项新的研究计划，该计划将允许将视觉发育的行为和电生理分析与脑发育的建模相结合，以确定视觉功能发育变化的神经关联。我们建议将现有的高密度脑电记录方法应用于动物模型。该项目的目标是使用一种非侵入性测试来研究活体大脑的发育，这种测试将允许与视觉功能的行为测量进行直接比较，并将与通过其他研究获得的神经生理学数据直接相关。由此得到的数据可以直接转化为人类大脑发育的问题，这种方法可以扩展到其他领域和其他人群的大脑成熟研究。为了实现我们的目标，我们将开发能够从婴儿非人类灵长类动物身上获取高密度脑电信号的技术。我们将从多个发育阶段的高分辨率结构磁共振扫描中生成头部模型，以便能够识别不同年龄段的脑电信号来源。使用我们开发的方法，我们将研究主要的纹外视觉加工通路，背侧流和腹侧流的发展。然后，我们将直接将神经活动的变化与行为测量的视觉功能发展联系起来。这一项目将产生四个重要成果。首先，我们将首次在非侵入性获取的反映大脑发育的信号和行为视觉功能的发展之间进行直接比较。其次，我们将提供有关这些信号来源的信息，以便与单个神经元记录和人类婴儿的脑电数据进行直接比较。第三，我们将获得一系列完整的发育脑图像，这些图像可以作为未来研究的规范数据库。第四，我们将调整一项非常重要的技术，用于小型灵长类动物，这将直接与评估大脑功能的问题有关，用于临床或研究目的，用于极早产儿或其他小型、神经学有障碍的个体。 公共卫生相关性：这项拟议的工作旨在揭示特定大脑区域和路径的发育模式和时间，并将行为和电生理发育模式与潜在神经机制的知识联系起来。即将开发的技术将为未来对人类婴儿大脑发育的研究提供信息，特别是与非常小、非常早熟或神经障碍的新生儿有关。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The aim of this proposal is to support a novel research program that will allow the integration of behavioral and electrophysiological assays of visual development with modeling of brain development to identify the neural correlates of developmental changes in visual function. We propose to adapt existing methodology of high-density EEG recording for use in an animal model. The goal of the project is to use a non-invasive assay for studying brain development in vivo that will allow direct comparison with behavioral measures of visual function and which will also directly correlate with neurophysiological data obtained through other studies. The resulting data can be directly translated to questions of brain development in humans, and the methodology can be extended to the study of brain maturation in other domains and with other populations. To accomplish our goal, we will develop technology to enable high-density EEG signals to be acquired from infant nonhuman primates. We will generate head models from high-resolution structural MRI scans at a number of developmental stages so that the sources of the EEG signals can be identified across ages. Using the methodology we develop, we will study the development of the major extrastriate visual processing pathways, the dorsal and ventral streams. We will then directly link changes in neural activity to behaviorally measured development of visual function. This project will yield four important outcomes. First, we will obtain the first direct comparison between non-invasively obtained signals reflecting brain development and the development of behavioral visual function. Second, we will provide information on the sources of these signals for direct comparison with single neuron recordings and EEG data obtained in human infants. Third, we will acquire a complete series of developmental brain images that can be used as a normative database in future research. Fourth, we will adapt a very important technology for use in small primates, which will be directly relevant to the problem of evaluation of brain function, for clinical or research purposes, in very premature infants or other small, neurologically challenged individuals. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: This proposed work is designed to reveal the pattern and timing of development of specific brain areas and pathways, and link patterns of behavioral and electrophysiological development with knowledge of underlying neural mechanisms. The technology to be developed will inform future studies of brain development in human infants, with specific relevance to very small, very premature, or neurologically challenged newborns.