CRCNS: Spatiotemporal imaging study of the mechanisms of binocular rivalry

描述(申请人提供)：拟议的合作研究的目标是通过建立一种新的具有广泛应用的计算时空神经成像方法来促进对双眼竞争的机制的理解，这是神经科学中一个重要的悬而未决的问题。我们的两只眼睛通常协同工作，为我们提供一个连贯而独特的视觉世界的表现。然而，当两个不同的图像分别呈现给两只眼睛时，它们之间的感知会交替，这一现象被称为双眼竞争。双眼竞争引起了神经科学界的高度重视，因为它的理解是理解双眼视觉信息如何结合的关键，也因为双眼竞争已经成为研究视觉意识和意识的神经机制的主要模型系统。鉴于近年来神经成像技术的快速发展和双眼竞争中仍需解决的关键问题，神经科学家和生物医学工程师密切合作的机会已经成熟，以开发创新的计算方法，推动时空成像的前沿，以回答双眼竞争中的关键问题。智力优势：这一合作研究项目将通过解决以下具体目标来促进神经科学研究和计算神经成像：目标1.双眼竞争的同时fMRI和EEG测量和计算多模式神经成像。我们将建立一种新的多模式计算时空神经成像方法，测量并集成双眼竞争期间大脑活动的同时fMRI和EEG信号。这一目标将回答与双眼竞争相关的关键问题，并显著推进双眼竞争研究的最新水平和脑成像的时空计算成像方法，使高分辨率时空成像成为解决双眼竞争的大脑活动模式的基础。目的2.应用研究方法研究双眼竞争的成分和刺激竞争的机制。我们将使用在目标1中开发的联合功能磁共振成像和EEG来研究双眼竞争的组成机制，并测试基于双眼竞争的有影响力的计算模型的预测。我们 将确定竞争启动和竞争维持两个动态阶段的神经关联。我们将研究刺激竞争的神经机制。创新的关键假设是在拟议的实验研究中要检验的关键假设，以及多模式计算神经成像方法。非常有希望的初步结果证明了拟议方法的可行性，并表明精心设计和开发的成功可能性很高。更广泛的影响：拟议的项目将对以下方面产生广泛影响：1)促进基础神经科学研究，2)促进公共健康，3)教育和培训下一代科学领袖，包括妇女和代表性不足群体的成员。了解双眼竞争的机制对于理解意识的神经基础以及我们的大脑如何解决相互冲突的输入信息具有重要的意义。这项拟议研究的成功完成将导致对双目竞争机制的全面理解，并推动一种新的多模式计算神经成像方法的发展，该方法有望在空间和时间上以高分辨率成像大脑活动。因此，拟议的项目将对认知神经科学的广泛主题的研究产生重大影响，从 通过认知和精神障碍的感知，以及解决逆问题的成像科学，在科学和工程中有着广泛的应用。了解双眼相互作用也将有助于更好地理解视觉障碍的机制，如弱视，这是最常见的视觉障碍之一，由单眼输入的皮质减弱引起。了解竞争中的抑制机制和在竞争不发生时整合的机制可能会极大地促进弱视等各种视觉障碍的治疗。此外，通过拟议培训研究生和博士后，包括妇女和代表性不足群体的成员，该项目将对培训下一代科学领袖产生广泛影响。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The goal of the proposed collaborative research is to advance the understanding of the mechanisms underlying binocular rivalry, a significant unresolved issue in neuroscience, through the establishment of a novel computational spatio-temporal neuroimaging methodology with broad applications. Our two eyes normally work in tandem to give us a coherent and unique representation of the visual world. However, when two different images are presented one to each eye, perception alternates between them, a phenomenon known as binocular rivalry. Binocular rivalry has attached significant attention from the neuroscience community, because its understanding is key to understanding how visual information from the two eyes is combined and also because binocular rivalry has become the main model system for studying neural mechanisms of visual awareness and consciousness. Given the rapid development in neuroimaging techniques in recent years and the critical questions that remain to be addressed in binocular rivalry, the opportunity is ripe for a close collaboration between neuroscientist and biomedical engineers to develop innovative computational approaches and push forward the frontiers of spatiotemporal imaging to answer critical questions in binocular rivalry. Intellectual Merits: This collaborative research project wll advance both neuroscience research and computational neuroimaging by addressing the following specific aims: Aim 1. Simultaneous fMRI and EEG measurement and computational multimodal neuroimaging of binocular rivalry. We will establish a novel multimodal computational spatio-temporal neuroimaging approach that measures and integrates simultaneous fMRI and EEG signals of brain activity during binocular rivalry. This Aim will answer key questions related to binocular rivalry, and significantly advance the state of the art o binocular rivalry research and the spatio-temporal computational neuroimaging methodology for brain mapping, allowing high resolution spatio-temporal imaging of the pattern of brain activity that underlies the resolution of binocular rivalry. Aim 2. Application of method to study components of binocular rivalry and mechanisms of stimulus rivalry. We will used combined fMRI and EEG to be developed in Aim 1 to investigate the component mechanisms of binocular rivalry, and to test predictions based on influential computational models of binocular rivalry. We will identify the neural correlates of two dynamic stages of rivalry initiation and rivalry maintenance. We will investigate the neural mechanisms responsible for stimulus rivalry. Of innovation are the key hypotheses to be tested in the proposed experimental investigation, and the multi-modal computational neuroimaging approach. The highly promising preliminary results demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed approach and indicate the high likelihood of success of the carefully designed and developments. Broader Impacts: The proposed project will have broad impacts to 1) advance basic neuroscience research, 2) promote public health, and 3) educate and train the next generation of scientific leaders including women and members of under-represented groups. Understanding the mechanisms of binocular rivalry has important implications for understanding the neural basis of consciousness, as well as how our brain resolves conflicting input information. The successful completion of the proposed research will lead to a comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms of binocular rivalry and advancement of a novel multimodal computational neuroimaging approach, which promises to image brain activity with high resolution in both space and time. As such the proposed project will have a significant impact for study of a broad range of topics in cognitive neuroscience, from perception through cognition and mental disorders, and imaging science for solving inverse problem with broad applications in science and engineering. Understanding binocular interactions will also lead to a better understanding of mechanisms of visual disorders, such as amblyopia, one of the most common visual disorders, resulting from cortical weakening of one eye's inputs. Understanding the mechanisms of suppression in rivalry and of integration when rivalry does not occur may significantly advance the management of various visual disorders such as amblyopia. Furthermore, through the proposed training of graduate students and postdocs including women and members of under-represented groups, the project will have broad impacts of training of the next generation of scientific leaders.