Eating (Elliot Berkman and Nicole Giuliani, UO Psychology) - This study examines the neural correlates of reframing the primary reward associated with approaching high fat, high calorie foods. In the scanner, participants' regulation will be assessed using a modified cognitive reappraisal task that asks them to reframe the way they view pictures of these foods. After the scan session, participants will be asked to either monitor their intake of a frequently-craved high fat, high calorie food or to monitor and restrict their intake of that food. With these data, we will test the hypothesis that neural activation associated with craving regulation predicts real-world food regulation success.

Dissonance (Eric Stice and Paul Rohde, Oregon Research Institute) - We have developed and implemented an eating disorder prevention program involving dissonance-inducing activities that reduces thin-ideal internalization. We are now gathering pilot data before and after the dissonance program to test the hypothesis that reductions in thin-ideal internalization are associated with change in brain and behavioral responses to beauty-related and thin-ideal related cues. We will also examine whether there are differences in neural responses to these cues in those participating in the program versus a control group.

3GS Pilot Study (Phil Fisher, UO Psychology) - This pilot project examines the effects of prenatal polysubstance exposure on adolescent brain function. We are specifically interested in alterations to regions of the brain involved in reward processing and executive function. We are recruiting teens with and without prenatal polysubstance exposure from the Three Generations Study (3GS). 3GS is a NIDA funded longitudinal study of parenting practices of men who were involved in the multi-decades long Oregon Youth Study.

Scale (Amy Lobben, UO Geography) - This study attempts to understand the neurological correlates of spatial thinking. We hope to use these findings in conjunction with behavioral experimentation to construct and assess an ontology of spatial thinking.

Cambridge (Michael Posner, UO Psychology; Michael Anderson, Cambridge University) – The Cambridge study involves the role of attention in suppressing association. The participants learn picture word associations. Some pictures are neutral, some negative. Subsequent trials involve either remembering or suppressing the learned associations. We examine the neural systems involved with these processes.

Soda X (Kyle S. Burger and Eric Stice, Oregon Research Institute) – Growing data indicate the neural consequences of habitually consuming highly palatable foods parallel those seen in drug abuse. This study aims to investigate reward-related brain responsivity during soda intake and presentation of soda advertisements in youth that either frequently drink soda or do not drink soda.

Rehabilitation Neuroscience (Scott Frey, University of Missouri) – Current research activities in the Frey Lab focus on furthering our understanding of the neural bases of manual actions and exploring the implications of these findings for improving neurorehabilitation. At this time we are exploring experience-dependent changes in sensory and motor areas associated with decreased (limb amputation, congenital limb deficiency, paralysis) or increased (training) activity.

Head Start (Helen Neville, UO Psychology) – This pilot project is an extension of our research on neuroplasticity in children. Based on results from basic research on neuroplasticity we have developed and implemented a training program for 3-5 year-old preschool children and their parents. We have documented significant improvements in several aspects of cognition as well as on a neurophysiological measure of attention after the eight-week training period. We are now gathering pilot structural and DTI data before and after the training period to test the hypothesis that the behavioral and neurophysiological changes we have documented are accompanied by structural changes in grey and white matter.

Self-Control Training (Elliot Berkman, UO Psychology) – This study examines functional and structural changes associated with long-term training to improve self-control. Participants' self-control capacity is assessed in several domains (e.g. motor, affect) before and after a training or a control manipulation.

Self-Perception and Social Cognition (Jennifer Pfeifer, UO Psychology) – This research focuses on the systems in the brain that support various forms of self-perception, social comparison, and emotion processing, and their role in adjustment and achievement during child and adolescent normative and atypical development.

Infants & fMRI (Philip Fisher, UO Psychology) – This study will examine neural processing of emotional stimuli in infants from low and high conflict families. Infants’ processing of adults’ emotional tone of voice is conceptualized as a potential means by which family conflict may have a direct impact on infants’ emotional development.

Project Milkshake (Eric Stice, Oregon Research Institute) – This study, funded by the National Institute of Mental Health, aims to examine: 1) differences in the neural circuitry related to food reward between adolescents at high risk for weight gain and low-risk adolescents; 2) the effects of abnormalities in the neural circuitry related to food reward to future weight gain and obesity onset; and 3) changes in food reward after obesity onset.

Working Memory: Neural Mechanisms of Mnemonic Precision (Ed Awh, UO Psychology; John Serences, UC San Diego) – This project seeks to identify and describe the neural mechanisms that enable the storage of high-fidelity representations in visual working memory using multivoxel pattern analysis of activity in primary visual cortex.

Integrative Body-Mind Training (Michael Posner, UO Psychology; Yiyuan Tang, Dalian University of Technology) – This collaborative study seeks to replicate our previous results in China with a larger population. We explore the possible neural mechanisms for conscious control of behavior and which aid in self-regulation.

Traumatic Brain Injury (Li-Shan Chou, UO Human Physiology; Ulrich Mayr, UO Psychology) – The focus of this neurorehabilitation project is to better understand the consequences of concussion or mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) on individual brain networks related to executive function. This will be accomplished by using fMRI to examine the pattern of brain activation associated with a task switching paradigm in patients with recent mTBI. Project results could enhance the development of mTBI assessment, and provide a useful set of tasks for improving executive functions in these patients.

Magnetic Resonance Electrical Impedance Tomography (Sergei Turovets, NeuroInformatics Center) – Magnetic resonance electrical impedance tomography (MREIT) is an imaging modality that visualizes the electrical properties of a conductive body. A small electrical current is injected into an object inside a magnetic resonance imaging scanner. Phase images before and after current injection are used to map the induced magnetic flux density. This information can then be used to construct an image of the electrical conductivity of the object.

Simultaneous EEG/fMRI (Phan Luu, Electrical Geodesics, Inc.) – EGI is currently developing a dense-array EEG system that can be used to acquire the EEG simultaneously with fMRI data acquisition. The goals are to develop an EEG system that 1) is safe to operate with the MRI environment, 2) does not distort the MRI data and 3) accurately captures the MRI's gradient pulses in the EEG recordings. If these goals can be accomplished, this MRI-compatible EEG system will advance both basic and clinical research by allowing investigators to leverage the spatial accuracy of MRI and temporal resolution of EEG to understand brain functions.

MRI Hardware Development – Members of the Lewis Center are actively involved in developing custom hardware for improved MR Imaging. more...