Training Face Recognition in Adults with Prosopagnosia

描述（由申请人提供）：面孔失认症是一种无法识别面孔的疾病，是一种社交衰弱障碍。因此，研究提高人脸识别能力的培训项目对于治疗这种疾病和更好地理解人脸识别系统都是必不可少的。然而，在训练人脸识别方面发表的尝试很少。本提案的主要目标是创建和评估一个基于感知学习原则的训练计划，目标是面孔失认症受试者感知面部结构的能力。我们的中心假设是，这种训练将改善面孔失认症患者对面孔的行为和神经反应。我们将研究一个相对较大的队列，并收集每个参与者的综合资料，包括行为和功能磁共振成像数据。这些数据将解决我们的第二个目标，即确定改善的必要条件：也就是说，哪些功能类型的面孔失认症得到改善，以及大脑中的哪些结构可能对成功的训练至关重要。具体目的：该项目的具体目的是确定干预对获得性和发展性面孔失认症对面孔的行为反应的影响（目的1和3）。此外，我们希望评估干预对面孔失认症的神经反应的影响（目标2和目标4）。这些目标的实现将使我们第一次能够直接比较获得性和发展性面孔失认症，并阐明从训练中获益的功能和结构决定因素。方法：干预前基线评估将包括面部处理和神经激活的测量。参与者将完成大约30分钟的培训，每周3次。这项训练将采用自适应阶梯法，随着表现的提高，参与者逐渐接触到更多相似的面孔。随着训练计划的每个阶段，面部表情和角度的变化程度将会增加，以增加训练效果将推广到新的训练后刺激和现实情况的可能性。训练前和训练后的评估将进行比较，以检查面部处理技能的改善和神经激活的变化。此外，分组数据将与年龄匹配的对照组进行比较。健康相关性：除了促进我们对皮质面部网络和该系统可塑性的理解外，拟议的工作将为患有面孔失认症的成人提供一个广泛可用的在线培训计划。博士后培训计划：作为培训计划的一部分，申请人将学习功能神经影像学的新技能，神经眼科学的新方法和新视角，并将有机会对大量成人面孔失认症患者进行广泛的检查。*第一次申请的更改以粗体表示。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Prosopagnosia, an inability to recognize faces, is a socially debilitating disorder. Therefore, training programs that investigate the ability to improv face recognition are essential for both treating the disorder and gaining a better understanding of the face recognition system. However, published attempts at training face recognition have been few. The primary goal of this proposal is to create and evaluate a training program based on perceptual learning principles that target the ability of prosopagnosic subjects to perceive facial structure. Our central hypothesis is that this training will improve behavioral and neural responses to faces in prosopagnosia. We will study a relatively large cohort and collect a comprehensive profile for each participant, including behavioral and fMRI data. These data will address our secondary goal, which is to determine the necessary conditions for improvement: that is, which functional types of prosopagnosia improve, and what structures in the brain may be critical for successful training. Specific Aims: The specific aims of the project are to determine the intervention's effect on acquired and developmental prosopagnosic's behavioral response to faces (aims 1 and 3). Furthermore, we hope to evaluate the effect that the intervention has on prosopagnosic's neural response to faces (aims 2 and 4). The accomplishments of these aims will allow us to, for the first time, directly compare acquired and developmental prosopagnosia as well as clarify the functional and structural determinants of benefit from training. Method: Pre-intervention baseline assessments will include measures of face processing and neural activation. Participants will complete approximately 30 minutes of training, 3 times per week. This training will utilize an adaptive staircase method in which participants are gradually exposed to more similar pairs of faces as performance improves. With each phase of the training program, a greater degree of variance in expression and angle of the face will be introduced to increase the possibility that training effects will generalize to novel post-training stimuli and real-world situations. Pre- and post-training assessments will be compared to examine improvements in face processing skill and changes in neural activation. In addition, group data will be compared to age-matched controls. Health Relevance: In addition to advancing our understanding of the cortical face network and the plasticity of this system, the proposed work will provide an online training program for adults with prosopagnosia that will be widely available. Postdoctoral Training program: As part of the training program, the applicant will learn new skills in functional neuroimaging, new approaches and perspectives in neuro-ophthalmology, and will have the opportunity to extensively examine a large cohort of adults with prosopagnosia. *Changes from the first application are indicated in bold.