The continuing objective of the Program in Cognitive Neuroscience is to elucidate the neural substrates of integrate functions of the human brain. The processes to be studied deal with issues in sensory integration, sensory-motor control, the interface between perception and cognition, and decision making. We will address these issues using a variety of methodologies including electrocorticography, behavioral testing of neurological populations, single unit studies in monkeys, psychophysical studies of neurologically intact subjects, and functional brain imaging. The Program Project consists of four research projects that will be conducted in parallel. These five projects range from the investigation of sensory and motor integration to studies of high level cognition and decision-making. The first Project begins by mapping cortical regions involved in sensory processing and sensory integration using direct electrophysiological recording of human cortical evoked potentials. The next Project extends this investigation by combining data from normal subjects, neurological populations and monkeys in the examination of multisensory integration. While these first two projects explore the integration of inputs from different sensory modalities, the next project investigates the coupling between sensory and motor systems. The final component of the Program Project is aimed at specifying the neural correlates of higher-level cognition and decision making. Taken together, the five proposed projects are designed to elucidate the representation and integration of information in the brain, from basic sensory processes to relatively abstract cognitive functions. The results of these studies will have important implications for the brain mechanisms involved in how sensory information is integrated, processed and used in the implementation of motor responses and decision-making.
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