Digital Neuroscience Investigations: Research, Education and Outreach

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Digital Neuroscience Investigations Research,
Education and Outreach
Howard Thorsheim Shawntel Carter Nik Duy Joel
Landsteiner Mike Mensink Brian Odlaug

• Partial support was provided for this project by
  the National Science Foundation to the St. Olaf
  College Department of Psychology, under Course,
  Curriculum and Laboratory Improvement Grant
  DUE-00837906, to adapt and implement exemplary
  laboratory practices and materials for
  investigative psychophysiology laboratory
  experiences.

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What is Digital Neuroscience?

• Digital Neuroscience is a new frontier of
  Neuroscience
• Digital signal processing replaces old analog
  approaches to brain and behavior studies

Analog signals are digitized and analyzed using a
variety of techniques.
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Research Goals

• NSF DUE-00837906 Grant
• Investigate psychophysiology lab experiences
• Improve Lab practices materials
• Incorporate Digital Neuroscience at St. Olaf
• Nygaard Foundation Grant
• Feasibility Study Igniting The Mind
• Sponsors partnering between St. Olaf and High
  schools through the Trio program
• Partnering with The Bakken Museum of Electricity
  and Life other industries in neuroscience
• New NSF Grant Igniting The Mind
• Pioneering Event Related Potential (ERP) wavelet
  analysis with St. Olaf Department of Physics with
  Mike Olson and Dr. Amy Kolan
• Independent Research Facial Muscle
  Electromyogram and Disgust Working Memory
  Investigations

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Education Goals

• Modernization of Cognitive Science
  Psychophysiology Lab
• Creation of lab curriculum

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Phase I Process
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Phase I Components
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The Event Related Potential Component Breakdown
What is an ERP? Event-related potentials are
patterned voltage changes embedded in the ongoing
EEG that reflect a process in response to a
particular event e.g., visual or auditory
stimuli.

• Orientation response
• Occurs almost immediately after the stimulus
• Characterized as reflexive pre-identification
  response
• P300, P3 wave
• Associated with decision making, reaction and
  evaluation
• Typically characterized as a positive wave
  located roughly 300 ms after the stimulus

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Catching an ERP

• Theory Many ERPs combined are responsible for
  most all brainwaves.
• Therefore, random ERPs drop out if averaged over
  a period of time resulting in a stimulus specific
  ERP.

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EEG Results with Strobe Pulses
A sample of raw EEG and Stimulus start times
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Visually Evoked Potential
A sample ERP obtained by averaging over 200
samples
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Why Wavelet Analysis?

• The Need
• As opposed to Fourier analysis, using wavelets to
  analyze EEG will let us know exactly what and
  when particular events occur
• Habituation
• The second reason for wavelet analysis is because
  subjects adjust to the presentation stimulus
  resulting in a decrease in authenticity of the
  ERP wave

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Foundations of Disgust

• Emotions are evolutionary responses
• Disgust evolved from a bad taste rejection
• Disgust has evolved from oral representations to
  moral aspects, such as death and cigarettes.
  (Rozin)
• We suggest handguns are in this category as well.
  

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The Recruitment of Disgust in Handgun
Moralization

• Questionnaire designed by Hertel, Huff, and
  Mensink
• Subjects rate agreement on scale of 1-5 with
  questions

• I like handguns.
• I dont mind hearing people talk positively about
  handguns.
• Handguns are evil.
• It is immoral to have a handgun in the presence
  of a child.

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The Physiology of Disgust in Handgun Moralization

• Using physiological techniques, subjects
  responses can be validated
• Facial response to International Affective
  Picture System (IAPS)
• EMG sensors at zygomatic, corrugator and levator
  labii muscles (Vrana)

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Working Memory

• Also known as short-term memory
• Example Forgetting a phone number a few seconds
  after hearing it

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Working Memory

• Working Memory

• We will focus on the Phonological loop aspect of
  working memory by examining covert behavior

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Covert Oral Behavior

• Subvocalization
• Occurs when subject speaks silently to self
• Can be measured through electromyography (EMG)

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Major Theoretical Controversy McGuigan vs.
Baddeley
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Baddeleys Experiment

• Focused on working memory by testing participants
  retention and recall of syllables (Da Ta Sa La
  Na)
• During retention intervals he had participants do
  one of four activities (chewing, resting, tongue
  between teeth or counting)
• He also varied length of retention interval (0,
  5, 10, 20 sec.)

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Baddeleys Prediction
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McGuigans Prediction
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Goals

• Duplicate both Baddeley and McGuigans experiment
• Add four control conditions (chewing, tongue
  between teeth, resting, counting)
• Electromyography (EMG), Electrooculogram (EOG),
  Video
• Verify or refute Baddeley vs McGuigan
• Examine potential applications for
  subvocalization and other covert behavior

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Goals (cont.)

• Examine potential applications for
  subvocalization and other covert behavior
• Education Learning Disabilities
• Muscular disabilities

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Outreach Goals Igniting the Mind

• Our current NSF and Nygaard grants include a
  feasibility study on the impact of exposure to
  digital neuroscience to stimulate interest in
  science among minority, first-generation,
  low-income high-school and middle-school
  students.
• We are partnering with Upward Bound to create
  psychophysiology labs for high school students
  from Humboldt, Red Wing, and North High Schools
  this summer.
• Results of the feasibility study will be vital
  for new NSF grant we are writing this summer.

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Outreach Pilot Experience With High School
Students EMG
High school students applying EMG sensors
Comments about the laboratory
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Minds Ignited!
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So What?

• A National Model is needed to ignite young minds
  of under- represented groups in scientific
  research and education
• We are looking for that model