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.

这项研究描述了将社会认知与身体深层意识相结合的大脑区域进化出的特征，从“直觉”的体验到社会感知的上下文细微差别，这些特征与增强和扩展人类社会身体有关。我们的解剖学的不同方面，在哺乳动物中是古老的，协调和整合它们的活动，以利于生存和社会结果，人类和类人猿也在细胞水平上表现出一些解剖学特征，称为冯·伊科诺莫神经元（VEN）。一些这项博士论文研究项目研究了哺乳动物群体中 VEN 是否因相似的功能原因而进化。这项研究的结果扩展了我们对社会身体联系在我们自己物种进化中的重要性的理解。这项研究为有抱负的本科研究人员提供了学习比较解剖学实验室技术的机会，研究人员通过科学传播活动和发布比较神经解剖学技术的数字视频教程进行推广。该研究利用免疫组织化学和 RNAScope 进行比较。该项目比较了与社会和内脏调节相关的蛋白质的表达，以及这些通路在灵长类动物、鲸鱼和大象中招募 VEN 的程度。这项研究还延伸到皮质区域之外，以比较描绘这些区域和内脏之间的关键节点——大脑核。孤束（NTS）——它在调节社会内脏过程中发挥着重要作用，特别是，该研究重点关注该网络中的社会神经激素，包括催产素和加压素。神经递质神经支配的差异可能会对社会产生影响。这些发现对进化研究和临床导向的研究具有影响，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收敛神经形态的争论。授予 NSF 的法定使命，并通过评估反映使用基金会的智力优点和更广泛的影响审查标准，被认为值得支持。