Doctoral Dissertation Research: Social perception and body awareness in large-brained mammals

博士论文研究：大脑哺乳动物的社会感知和身体意识

• 批准号: 2316955
• 负责人: Chet Sherwood
• 金额: $ 1.94万
• 依托单位: George Washington University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2023
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2023-07-15 至 2024-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2316955&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Doctoral; Dissertation; Research; Social; perception

This study characterizes traits that have evolved in brain regions that integrate social cognition with deep awareness of the body. From the experience of ‘gut feelings’ to the contextual nuances of social perception, these features are implicated in enhancing and expanding the human social-body connection. Different aspects of our anatomy, ancient in mammals, coordinate and integrate their activity to work toward benefitting survival and social outcomes. Humans and great apes also show some anatomical features at the cellular level, called von Economo neurons (VENs), shared with some distantly related mammals such as whales and elephants. This doctoral dissertation research project examines whether VENs evolved for similar functional reasons across mammal groups. The results of this research expand our understanding of the importance of social-body connection in the evolution of our own species’ social behavior. This study provides opportunities for aspiring undergraduate researchers to learn comparative anatomy lab techniques, and the investigators conduct outreach through science communication activities and publishing digital video tutorials for comparative neuroanatomy techniques.The study utilizes immunohistochemistry and RNAScope to compare protein/gene expression selective to VENs, found in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and anterior insular cortex (AI) and hypothesized to enhance signaling speed within social-visceral pathways. The project compares the expression of proteins associated with social and visceral regulation, and the degree to which these pathways recruit VENs, across primates, whales, and elephants. This study also extends beyond cortical regions to comparatively profile a critical node between these regions and the viscera--the nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS)—which is heavily involved in mediating social-visceral processes, particularly satiety and motivation. In particular, the study focuses on social neurohormones, including oxytocin and vasopressin, across this network. Differences in neurotransmitter innervation may have implications for social and resource-sharing behavior. The findings have implications for evolutionary studies and clinically oriented research, shaping our understanding of the social brain and addressing debates surrounding how we define convergent neural morphologies.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

这项研究的特征是在大脑区域发展的特征，这些特征将社会认知与对身体的深入认识相结合。从“肠感”的经验到社会感知的上下文细微差别，这些特征都可以在增强和扩展人类社会体内的联系中实现。我们的解剖学的不同方面，古老的哺乳动物，协调和整合其活动，旨在使生存和社会成果受益。人类和大猿在细胞水平上还显示出一些解剖学特征，称为经济神经元（Vens），并与一些明显相关的哺乳动物（例如鲸鱼和大象）共享。该博士学位论文研究项目检查Vens是否出于哺乳动物组的功能原因相似。这项研究的结果扩展了我们对社会联系在我们自己物种社会行为发展中的重要性的理解。 This study provides opportunities for aspiring Undergraduate researchers to learn comparative anatomy lab techniques, and the investigators conduct outreach through science communication activities and publishing digital video tutorials for comparative neuroanatomy techniques.The study utilizes immunohistochemistry and RNAScope to compare protein/gene expression selective to VENs, found in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and anti-insular cortex (AI) and假设以提高社会守护途径内的信号速度。该项目比较了与社会和内脏法规相关的蛋白质的表达，以及这些途径在跨，鲸鱼和大象之间募集Vens的程度。这项研究还扩展了皮质区域，以相对介绍这些区域与内脏之间的关键节点 - 固体道（NTS）的核，这很大程度上参与了介导社会 - 野蛮过程，尤其是饱腹感和动机。特别是，该研究的重点是该网络的社会神经激素（包括氧气和加压素）。神经递质神经支配的差异可能对社会和资源分享行为有影响。这些发现对进化研究和临床研究具有影响，塑造了我们对社会大脑的理解，并解决了围绕我们如何定义融合神经形态的辩论。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识分子优点和更广泛的审查标准评估来诚实地获得支持。