新生儿及婴儿情绪加工脑机制的纵向研究

An important function of the brain is to scan one's surroundings for the presence of biologically relevant features and grant them priority in access to attention and action. The significance of this function for well-being and survival has given rise to the argument that neural mechanisms for emotion processing may exist in the first days of life, and that these mechanisms may require little, if any, experience to work normally. This project has two main purposes. The first one is to determine whether the neural mechanisms for emotion processing merge during the first days of life (0-5 days). The second one is to elucidate the developmental course of such neural mechanisms for basic emotion processing (i.e. happy, fear, anger and disgust) in early life (0 -12 months). In order to accomplish such goals, we conduct a longitudinal study during which we check at 5 time points in the first year of life (the neonatal period, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months) respectively in both visual and auditory modalities. Using a simultaneous recording of ERP and fNIRS, we are able to measure the corresponding changes of neural activity and blood oxygen of brain mechanisms for emotion processing with high time and spatial resolutions. This project would help us to understand the ontogeny and developmental course of basic emotion processing in early life, providing profound scientific evidence for a better time schedule for infants tending and intervention. The applicant has a multidisciplinary background (cognitive neuroscience, clinical pediatrics, and biomedical engineering) and has published 6 SCI papers as the first author. Furthermore, the substantial supports for the instruments from the Support Unit and strong supports for the subject recruitments and follow-up studies from the Cooperation Unit could ensure the accomplishment of this project.

准确、快速地加工情绪信息对人类的生存进化及其重要，同时也是人们日常社会交往所必须的技能。刚出生的新生儿能否对情绪信息进行加工？生后1年内情绪加工的脑机制是怎样发展的？本项目选择受后天经验影响最小的新生儿群体作为研究对象，从新生儿期到婴儿期对被试的情绪加工脑机制进行纵向追踪研究。利用ERP和fNIRS联合采集，以神经电生理和脑血氧参数的时空模式为指标，在5个时间点(0,3,6,9,12月)考察婴儿情绪性面孔/语音加工脑机制的发展规律，分别揭示快乐、恐惧、愤怒、厌恶等情绪信息加工机制各自的发展进程，从而精确划定情绪加工神经环路早期发展的敏感时期，为制定有针对性的婴儿抚育、干预方案提供科学依据。申请人具有认知神经科学、儿科学、生物医学工程多学科背景，已以第一作者发表SCI论文6篇。依托单位北师大认知所可为项目提供坚实的硬件保证。合作单位北大第一医院可在被试招募和追踪研究方面提供强大的临床支持。

本项目以生后0-12个月的新生儿（0月）及婴儿（1-12月）为研究对象，采用ERP和fNIRS相结合的技术，以较高的时间和空间分辨率获取大脑在情绪加工过程中的神经电和血氧参数信息。通过在5个时间点（新生儿期、3月、6月、9月、12月）对被试进行视、听通道情绪加工的纵向研究，分别揭示快乐、恐惧、愤怒、厌恶等情绪加工在个体发展过程中所对应的起源时间，探讨婴儿情绪加工脑机制在各阶段的发展规律，进而划定情绪加工神经环路早期发展的敏感时期。.在本项目的支助下，课题组在Human Brain Mapping, Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, Science (supplement) 以及《心理学报》等高水平期刊共发表研究论文22篇，其中16篇为SCI或SSCI检索的英文论文，6篇为中文论文。另外还有两篇英文论文已投稿。