This is an application for an NIMH Mentored Research Scientist Development Award (KOl) entitled ?Spatiotemporal Imaging of Semantic Processing and Representation?. The candidate?s primary interest is to understand the organization of semantic representations and processing mechanisms in the human brain. The proposed research will test the hypothesis that there are multiple cognitive and neural semantic systems for coding verbal and nonverbal information. To address this question, the candidate will use a novel technique, which integrates MEG and EEG (which have millimeter temporal resolution) with anatomical and functional MRI (which have millimeter spatial resolution) to produce spatiotemporal maps of brain activation. Psycholinguistic paradigms will be used that are designed to examine specific types of semantic processing. Specifically, these studies will examine linguistic and imagistic semantic processing of words, semantic priming of words and pictures, and semantic integration of words and pictures in sentences and discourse. The integration of these complementary neuroimaging methods will provide insights into the organization of semantic representations and processing mechanisms in both the spatial and temporal domains. Moreover, this research will address a long-standing and unresolved debate as to whether there exists a single modal semantic system or multiple modality-specific semantic systems. It will also provide a methodological foundation for future study of cognition in health and in neurological and psychiatric disorders. By this proposal the candidate seeks training in (1) MEG data acquisition and analysis, (2) advanced fMRI and multi-modal integration techniques, and (3) specialized statistical methods for spatiotemporal neuroimaging. The rigorous training plan, integrating didactic instruction and expert mentorship in psycholinguistics and neuroimaging, will provide the candidate with the theoretical framework and technical skills necessary to become an independent investigator in multidisciplinary cognitive neuroscience.
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