Early visual cortex's role in working memory & attention

早期视觉皮层在工作记忆中的作用

• 批准号: 7156613
• 负责人: Shani Offen
• 金额: $ 2.69万
• 依托单位: NEW YORK UNIVERSITY
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 2006
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2006-09-01 至 2009-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/7156613
• 关键词: attention; behavioral /social science research tag; bioimaging /biomedical imaging; brain mapping; clinical research; discrimination learning; functional magnetic resonance imaging; human subject; neural information processing; neuroimaging; performance; predoctoral investigator; psychophysiology; short term memory; visual cortex; visual perception

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The cortical networks that support working memory and visual attention will be investigated in the proposed set of fMRI experiments, with an emphasis on the role of early visual cortex. Subjects will perform psychophysical discrimination and detection tasks while their brain activity is imaged in a 3T scanner. The experiments will shed light on questions concerning the nature of visual working memory, such as whether it is ever iconic rather than symbolic. They will also clarify the mechanisms underlying sustained attention, contributing to the discussion in the literature as to whether attention acts by boosting the signal coming from relevant neuronal channels. Our preliminary results reveal a striking dissociation between working memory and visual attention, which we explore in terms of underlying computational mechanisms. Many experimentalists and theorists posit that problems maintaining information underlies the core symptomology in a range of neurological disorders. A better understanding of the basic neural mechanisms underlying visual attention and working memory will lead to improved diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic procedures for these disorders.

描述（由申请人提供）：支持工作记忆和视觉注意力的皮层网络将在拟议的一系列功能磁共振成像实验中进行研究，重点是早期视觉皮层的作用。受试者将执行心理物理辨别和检测任务，同时他们的大脑活动会在 3T 扫描仪中成像。这些实验将揭示有关视觉工作记忆本质的问题，例如它是否是象征性的而不是象征性的。他们还将阐明持续注意力背后的机制，有助于文献中关于注意力是否通过增强来自相关神经元通道的信号来发挥作用的讨论。我们的初步结果揭示了工作记忆和视觉注意力之间的显着分离，我们从底层计算机制的角度进行了探索。许多实验学家和理论家认为，信息维护问题是一系列神经系统疾病的核心症状的基础。更好地理解视觉注意力和工作记忆的基本神经机制将有助于改善这些疾病的诊断、预后和治疗程序。