The Role of Experience in the Development of Spatial Working Memory

经验在空间工作记忆发展中的作用

基本信息

批准号：
7261983
负责人：
ANNE R SCHUTTE
金额：
$ 6.94万
依托单位：
UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA LINCOLN
依托单位国家：
美国
项目类别：
财政年份：
2006
资助国家：
美国
起止时间：
2006-08-01 至 2009-05-31
项目状态：
已结题

项目摘要

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Spatial working memory deficits occur in many developmental disabilities, including ADHD, Williams Syndrome, and autism. Despite the ubiquitous nature of spatial working memory deficits, very little is known about the normative development of spatial working memory. One thing researchers have identified, is a transition in spatial working memory early in development; however, researchers examining this transition have focused on what is changing, and have not explained what causes this change in spatial working memory. Before interventions can be developed for children with spatial memory deficits, it is necessary to determine what affects the development of spatial working memory. The goal of the research proposed here is to begin to examine how experience modulates spatial working memory development using a neural network model, the dynamic field theory, as a guide. The proposed research will use microgenetic methods to begin to examine the role of different types of experience in stimulating the development of spatial working memory. Specifically, children near the transition point will be given additional experience to determine if experience can "push" them through the transition earlier than children not receiving additional experience. Thus, the first aim of this research is to determine whether children given task-specific experience in a SWM task will transition earlier than a control group not receiving this experience. The second aim is to determine whether children given experience discriminating locations around the midline reference axis will transition earlier in the SWM task than a control group that does not receive any relevant experience. Experience that makes the reference axis more salient should cause children to transition. The third aim is to examine whether experience in one task generalizes to a second task. If the changes that result from additional experience are task general, they should generalize to a different SWM task. Determining how different types of experience affect the development of spatial working memory will provide us with a better understanding of the processes underlying spatial working memory. Understanding these processes will lead to a better understanding of spatial working memory deficits, and the development of interventions to alleviate these deficits.

描述（由申请人提供）：空间工作记忆缺陷发生在许多发育障碍中，包括多动症，威廉姆斯综合症和自闭症。尽管空间工作记忆缺陷无处不在，但对于空间工作记忆的规范发展知之甚少。研究人员确定的一件事是在开发早期的空间工作记忆中的过渡。但是，研究这种过渡的研究人员集中于正在发生变化的事情，并且没有解释导致空间工作记忆变化的原因。在为空间记忆缺陷的儿童制定干预措施之前，有必要确定什么影响空间工作记忆的发展。这里提出的研究的目的是开始研究经验如何使用神经网络模型（动态场理论）调节空间工作记忆的发展。拟议的研究将使用微遗传学方法开始研究不同类型的经验在刺激空间工作记忆发展中的作用。具体而言，将为过渡点附近的儿童提供额外的经验，以确定经验是否可以比未获得额外经验的孩子更早地通过过渡“推动”他们。因此，这项研究的第一个目的是确定与未接受此经验的对照组相比，在SWM任务中给予特定于任务经验的孩子是否会更早过渡。第二个目的是确定在SWM任务中，在中线参考轴围绕中线参考轴周围的位置的经验是否比没有获得任何相关经验的对照组更早地过渡。使参考轴更突出的经验应导致儿童过渡。第三个目的是检查一个任务中的经验是否会概括为第二个任务。如果其他经验导致的更改是任务一般，则应将其推广到其他SWM任务。确定不同类型的经验如何影响空间工作记忆的发展将使我们更好地了解空间工作记忆的过程。了解这些过程将使人们对空间工作记忆缺陷有更好的了解，并发展干预措施以减轻这些缺陷。