Speaker-listener coupling: a novel neural approach for assessing communication

说话者-听众耦合：一种评估沟通的新颖神经方法

基本信息

批准号：
10246778
负责人：
Uri Hasson
金额：
$ 111.13万
依托单位：
PRINCETON UNIVERSITY
依托单位国家：
美国
项目类别：
财政年份：
2016
资助国家：
美国
起止时间：
2016-09-30 至 2024-07-31
项目状态：
已结题

项目摘要

Communication is a dynamic process by which information is transferred across people. For the sake of experimental control, however, most cognitive neuroscience work on communication focus on either language production in the speaker's brain or comprehension in the listener's brain during highly artificial tasks. Communication, which by nature is a joint action embedded in a social context, is paradoxically studied in single individuals in isolation. In this proposal, we advance a new and versatile framework for understanding the neural mechanisms underlying communication in the real world. This framework argues that effective communication emerges when the neural activity of the two interlocutors are “coupled” together. This coupling can take the form of (1) mirroring, when the listener's neural patterns match those of the speaker; (2) conditional transformations, when the listener's patterns reflect a lawful relation to the speaker's neural patterns; or (3) synergies, when the activities of the two brains dynamically influence and constrain each other to optimize information sharing. To test our theoretical framework, we propose developing both stationary and portable dual-brain imaging systems for measuring the neural activity of multiple individuals engaged in dialogue in the laboratory and in clinical settings. Two of the systems, fMRI hyperscanning and ECoG hyperscanning, take advantage of the high spatial and high temporal resolution of the respective methods to precisely characterize coupled neural dynamics during dialogue. For the third system, we propose developing a portable, dual-brain fNIRS system to characterize how two brains interact in real-life settings. Field work measuring the level of brain-to-brain coupling between a caregiver and a child could be used to study the acquisition of a first language; as an early preverbal biomarker for developmental disorder (e.g. lack of caregiver-child coupling as an early biomarker for autism); and as a temporally refined diagnostic tool for evaluating the effectiveness of behavioral and pharmacological interventions aimed at alleviating communication deficits (e.g. in autism, schizophrenia). Although the proposed research is technologically challenging, this laboratory has a track record of developing innovative analysis tools and theoretical frameworks for the study of cognitive functions in real-life contexts. The PI has substantial experience working with ECoG, fMRI and fNIRS, as well as studying both neurotypical and clinical populations. Our proposal is strongly grounded in prior work studying the extent of shared neural responses across subjects during the processing of real-life information. Thus, although ambitious, the research plan is both feasible and grounded, and has the potential to transform the way we understand and assess the neural processes by which we interact with others in everyday contexts. Ultimately, we believe that this work will lead to a novel brain-to-brain coupling biomarker for detecting preverbal communication disorders and assessing interventions in clinical settings.

沟通是一个动态的过程，为了跨人员传递信息。但是，实验控制，大多数认知神经科学在沟通上的重点是两种语言在高度人为的任务中，在听众大脑中的大脑或理解力中生产。沟通本质上是嵌入在社会背景中的联合行动，是在研究中的悖论在此提案中，单身人士现实世界中的神经机制。当两个对话者的神经活动“耦合”在一起时，就会出现沟通。当听众的神经模式与扬声器相匹配时，可以采用（1）镜像；有条件的转换，当听众的模式反映了与说话者神经的合法关系时模式;或（3）协同作用优化信息共享。为了测试我们的理论框架，我们建议开发固定和便携式双脑成像测量在实验室和中进行对话的多个人的神经活动的系统临床环境。尊重方法的高空间和高时间分辨率精确表征了耦合的Neuryl 对话期间的动态。表征两个大脑在现实生活中如何相互作用。照顾者和孩子之间的耦合可以研究对第一语言的获取；发育障碍的言语生物标志物（例如，缺乏照顾者 - 儿童耦合作为早期生物标志物自闭症）;用于评估行为有效性的诊断工具旨在减轻沟通缺陷的药理学国际干预措施（例如自闭症，精神分裂症）。尽管这些支撑研究在技术上具有挑战性，但该实验室有发展的记录创新分析工具和理论框架，用于研究现实生活中认知功能的研究。 PI具有与ECOG，fMRI和FNIRS合作的丰富经验，并且研究两种神经型和临床人群。在处理现实生活的过程中，跨主题的响应。研究计划既可行又扎根，并且有可能改变我们理解的方式和评估我们在日常情况下与他人互动的神经过程。这项工作将导致一种新颖的脑脑耦合生物标志物，用于检测前脊椎通信障碍并评估临床环境中的干预措施。