Reverse engineering brain networks for scene and object processing with non-invasive neuromodulation

目的：来自行为测量、神经成像和临床数据的越来越多的证据表明，物体和场景是独立处理的，与直觉相反，场景可以在不需要识别其任何组成物体的情况下进行分类。本研究计划的目的是研究对象和场景处理之间的关系，特别是对象选择皮质区域对场景处理及其推论的贡献。我的实验室已经证明，经颅磁刺激（TMS）对目标选择皮层的非侵入性神经调节在整个大脑的场景处理区域具有远程影响，从行为上讲，它改变了我们感知场景的能力。这一观察首次表明，物体和场景的处理可能不像之前认为的那样独立，而是可能涉及相互联系。在本研究计划中，我将在行为和神经水平上评估物体优先皮层对场景感知和场景优先皮层对物体感知的功能连通性。******科学方法：我将使用几种互补的方法，包括功能磁共振成像（fMRI）、功能引导的经颅磁刺激和行为测量。我提出三个主要实验来解决以下问题：******1。在对象优先和场景优先皮层中执行什么级别的语义编码？什么时候发生？我将对对象优先和场景优先皮层进行离线TMS，以确定这些区域对对象和场景的语义编码水平的贡献。随后，在线TMS将被执行，以确定在神经调节的目标物体和场景区域的时间编码。* * * 2。物体和场景处理皮层区域之间的功能连接是什么？我将使用连续的TMS- fmri设计来测量对象和场景优先皮层网络中场景和物体诱导的BOLD信号，然后对对象和场景优先皮层进行离线低频重复TMS。在类似的范例中，我将在fMRI扫描期间使用核磁共振兼容线圈在线应用经颅磁刺激，以观察刺激部位偏远区域的实时神经调节作用。* * * 3。侧枕（LO）对象选择区和场景选择皮层之间的解剖学联系是什么？我将使用扩散张量成像（DTI）来确定这些区域之间的白质连接。******新颖性和意义：这项研究的新颖性和意义在于，它将进一步完善我们对皮层中视觉图像处理网络如何相互作用的理解。

OBJECTIVE: Mounting evidence from behavioural measures, neuroimaging and clinical data has shown that objects and scenes are processed independently and that, counterintuitively, a scene can be categorized without the need to recognize any of its constituent objects. The goal of this research program is to examine the relationship between object and scene processing and, in particular, the contribution of object-selective cortical areas to scene processing and their corollary. My laboratory has demonstrated that non-invasive neuromodulation of object-selective cortex with transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) has remote effects across the brain in scene processing regions and behaviourally, it alters our ability to perceive scenes. This observation suggests for the first time that object and scene processing may not be as independent as previously thought but might instead involve mutual connections. In the proposed research program I will assess the functional connectivity of object-preferential cortex on scene perception and scene-preferential cortex on object perception at both the behavioural and neural level. ******SCIENTIFIC APPROACH: I will use several complementary methods, including functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), functionally-guided TMS, and behavioural measures. I propose three main experiments to address the following questions: ******1. What level of semantic coding is performed in object-preferential and scene-preferential cortices? When does it occur? I will perform offline TMS to object-preferential and scene-preferential cortices to determine the contribution of these regions to levels of semantic coding of objects and scenes. Subsequently, online TMS will be performed to determine the temporal coding in the neuromodulated target object and scene regions. ***2. What is the functional connectivity between object and scene processing cortical areas? I will use a consecutive TMS-fMRI design to measure scene- and object-induced BOLD signal in the object and scene-preferential cortical networks following offline low frequency repetitive TMS to object and scene-preferential cortex. In a similar paradigm, I will apply TMS online during fMRI scanning using an MR-compatible coil to observe real-time neuromodulatory effects in remote regions to the stimulation site. ***3. What is the anatomical connectivity between the lateral occipital (LO) object-selective area and scene-selective cortex? I will use diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to determine white matter connectivity between these areas.******NOVELTY AND SIGNIFICANCE: This novelty and significance of this research is that it will further refine our understanding of how visual image processing networks in the cortex interact.