Neuroimaging of Executive Processing

执行处理的神经影像学

• 批准号: 6871459
• 负责人: SCOTT Allen HUETTEL
• 金额: $ 27.72万
• 依托单位: DUKE UNIVERSITY
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 2005
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2005-01-01 至 2008-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/6871459
• 关键词: basal ganglia; behavioral /social science research tag; bioimaging /biomedical imaging; brain mapping; caudate nucleus; clinical research; cues; decision making; executive function; functional magnetic resonance imaging; goal oriented behavior; human subject; neuroimaging; neuropsychology; prefrontal lobe /cortex; psychological tests; reinforcer; stimulus /response; young adult human (21-34)

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Executive processes facilitate the flexible, top-down control of human behavior. A network of brain regions including prefrontal cortex (PFC), anterior cingulate cortex, and parietal cortex is thought to be central for executive processing. Neuroimaging and lesion studies have suggested that these regions play a role in selection or potentiation of behavior based upon context. The experiments detailed in this proposal will use functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to investigate the neural mechanisms of response selection, evaluation of feedback and rewards, and the goal-directed control of behavior. This proposal has three specific aims. First, it seeks to elucidate the role of dorsolateral PFC (dlPFC) in behavioral control, to test the hypothesis that executive functions potentiate sets of stimulus-response contingencies rather than responses themselves. The proposed experiments manipulate the amount of information each stimulus in a sequence contributes either to learning a decision rule or to preparing a needed response. Second, it investigates the role of ventromedial PFC (vmPFC) in the potentiation of contingencies between responses and rewards. The proposed experiments manipulate the reward expectation associated with different stimuli and with responses at different points in time, to test the hypothesis that vmPFC supports the resolution of uncertainty about reward-response links. Third, it investigates the interaction between prefrontal systems by examining the influence of reward uncertainty upon decision processes. Some stimuli are associated with uncertainty in future rewards, while others are associated with certain outcomes. The experiments test the hypothesis that increasing activity in vmPFC reward systems results in decreased activity in dlPFC control systems. The proposed research program will have a significant impact upon the understanding of human executive processing, including selection, decision, and working memory components. A better understanding of these processes will lead to further improvements in clinical remediation of neurological and psychiatric disorders characterized by impairments in executive function or behavioral selection (e.g., frontal lobe damage, schizophrenia, Parkinson's disease).

描述（由申请人提供）：执行流程有助于对人类行为进行灵活、自上而下的控制。包括前额叶皮层 (PFC)、前扣带皮层和顶叶皮层在内的大脑区域网络被认为是执行处理的核心。神经影像学和病变研究表明，这些区域在基于环境的行为选择或增强中发挥作用。该提案中详述的实验将使用功能磁共振成像（fMRI）来研究反应选择、反馈和奖励评估以及行为目标导向控制的神经机制。该提案具有三个具体目标。首先，它试图阐明背外侧 PFC (dlPFC) 在行为控制中的作用，以检验执行功能增强一系列刺激-反应意外事件而不是反应本身的假设。所提出的实验操纵序列中每个刺激有助于学习决策规则或准备所需响应的信息量。其次，它研究了腹内侧 PFC (vmPFC) 在增强反应和奖励之间的意外事件中的作用。所提出的实验操纵与不同刺激和不同时间点的响应相关的奖励期望，以测试 vmPFC 支持解决奖励-响应链接的不确定性的假设。第三，它通过检查奖励不确定性对决策过程的影响来研究前额叶系统之间的相互作用。有些刺激与未来奖励的不确定性相关，而另一些则与某些结果相关。实验检验了这样的假设：vmPFC 奖励系统的活动增加会导致 dlPFC 控制系统的活动减少。拟议的研究计划将对人类执行处理的理解产生重大影响，包括选择、决策和工作记忆组件。更好地了解这些过程将进一步改善以执行功能或行为选择受损为特征的神经和精神疾病（例如额叶损伤、精神分裂症、帕金森病）的临床治疗。