Neuronal Dynamics of Visual Attention and Eye Movements

视觉注意力和眼球运动的神经元动力学

• 批准号: 8536135
• 负责人: Joseph Patrick Mayo
• 金额: $ 5.22万
• 依托单位: HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 2012
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2012-09-01 至 2015-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/8536135
• 关键词: Address; Afferent Neurons; Animals; Attention; Attentional deficit; Basic Science; Behavior; Behavioral; Biological; Brain; Cerebral cortex; Child; Chronic; Cognitive; Coupled; Data; Detection; Electrodes; Eye Movements; Goals; Implant; Individual; Investigation; Knowledge; Link; Measurement; Measures; Methods; Monitor; Motion; Neurons; Performance; Physiological; Population; Procedures; Process; Relative (related person); Research; Research Personnel; Scanning; Sensory; Signal Transduction; System; Techniques; Testing; Therapeutic; Time; Training; Translations; United States; Validation; Visual; Visual attention; Visuospatial; Work; clinical application; cooking; knowledge translation; millisecond; neural circuit; research study; response; theories; visual neuroscience

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The neuronal correlates of visual attention are typically studied by using a single electrode and recording the signals of individual neurons. Because the firing of a single neuron varies considerably from trial to trial, responses from dozens of trials must be averaged to obtain precise measurements. But the single-neuron approach is problematic for studies of attention because attention drifts from trial-to-trial in uncontrolled ways that are not captured when data are averaged over trials. A comprehensive understanding of visual attention therefore requires investigation at a finer time scale (seconds or less), in keeping with the time course of natural behaviors. Recent advances in multi-electrode recording can overcome the limitations of studying attention using single-neuron recordings. This approach reveals new facets of the dynamics of attention that previously could not be measured. Using this newfound temporal precision, this study addresses two central questions in visual neuroscience. First, we will determine whether shifts in attention and eye movements are coupled. Second, we will investigate the deployment of attention during natural, unrestricted scanning of a visual display. These two aims will help bridge the gap between our basic research knowledge and translation of that knowledge to clinically viable treatments of attention. The ability to predict and dissociate the neuronal signals for eye movements and visual attention at a milliseconds timescale represents a major step towards this goal. Chronic implants for the online monitoring of aberrant attention-or even for attentional enhancement-depend on the research outlined in this proposal.

描述（由申请人提供）：通常通过使用单个电极并记录单个神经元的信号来研究视觉注意力的神经元相关性。由于单个神经元的放电在每次试验中都有很大差异，因此必须对数十次试验的响应进行平均以获得精确的测量结果。但单神经元方法对于注意力研究来说是有问题的，因为注意力在试验之间以不受控制的方式漂移，而当对试验数据进行平均时，这种漂移是无法捕获的。因此，对视觉注意力的全面理解需要在更精细的时间尺度（秒或更短）内进行研究，以与自然行为的时间进程保持一致。多电极记录的最新进展可以克服使用单神经元记录研究注意力的局限性。这种方法揭示了以前无法测量的注意力动态的新方面。利用这种新发现的时间精度，这项研究解决了视觉神经科学中的两个核心问题。首先，我们将确定注意力的转移和眼球运动是否耦合。其次，我们将研究在自然、不受限制地扫描视觉显示期间注意力的部署。这两个目标将有助于弥合我们的基础研究知识和将这些知识转化为临床上可行的注意力治疗方法之间的差距。在毫秒时间尺度上预测和分离眼球运动和视觉注意力的神经元信号的能力代表了朝着这一目标迈出的重要一步。用于在线监测异常注意力甚至注意力增强的慢性植入取决于本提案中概述的研究。