07/01/19 Changes from last year What is cognitive neuroscience? - - PDF document

07/01/19 1

Cognitive Neuroscience

Iiro P. Jääskeläinen, Ph.D.

Brain and Mind Laboratory Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering Aalto University School of Science

• Some changes due to last year’s course feedback
• Please give constructive feedback, it is very

important for course development J

• Course forms a continuum with the course

“Structure and Function of the Human Brain” and subsequent advanced course by Sams

– It is assumed anatomical structures, functioning of neurons, etc. basic concepts have been introduced – focus on this course on higher cognitive functions – flipped-class method to facilitate learning – Assessment/grading based only 40% on exam

Changes from last year What is cognitive neuroscience?

• A relatively new discipline of science
• Addresses the question of how ~1.4

kilograms of brain tissue make it possible for humans to perceive, think, feel, pursue goals, and move about

• Methodological advances (non-invasive

brain research methods, including suitable data-analysis algorithms) together with theoretical framework(s) constitute the key to progress in cognitive neuroscience

From early attempts to present

NT HFA

Why study cognitive neuroscience?

• Cognitive neuroscience is an exciting area
• f basic research
• Application areas of cognitive neuroscience

include:

– Provides more refined theoretical and experimental basis for clinical research (e.g., demantias, neuropsychiatric disorders) – Algorithms for artificial intelligence/robotics etc. – Helps develop/refine man-machine interfaces – Potential in helping resolve open questions in

• ther areas, e.g. social sciences

The learning goals of this course

• Knowledge learning outcomes:
• 1) Command of basic terminology and concepts

regarding the higher cognitive functions (listed in chapters 6-13 of the course textbook) so that

• ne can seek further information and study

independently in this area after the course, 2) understanding how knowledge of these functions has developed as well as strengths and limitations of the research methods/approaches with which the knowledge has been achieved

The learning goals of this course

Transferable skills learning outcomes:

• 3) learn to use valid search engines and databases (i.e.,

google scholar and pubmed) to look up research reports

• n one’s topic of presentation, 4) recognizing one’s own

strengths and areas of development in oral presentation skills (succinct 15-20 min presentation) in English, 5) development of group work skills, via gaining experience in group work as presentations are assembled together, 6) recognition of challenges and possibilities in multicultural working skills (since international master’s program there is possibility for this as more than half of the students are from some other country there is most likely heterogeniety in each group).

• NB: option two via writing an essay

Course requirements (option I)

• Reading the textbook “Introduction to Cognitive

Neuroscience” Chs 6-13 (exam based on this book)

• Preparing in teams three concise 15-20 min

presentations on selected topics of cognitive neuroscience (covered in the book)

• Each student will present once (whole team goes to

front) and help the other students to prepare their presentation (materials and help from me and Vesa)

• Grading partly based on quality of presentations
• Rationale: learning by preparing the presentations

(active / problem-based learning), teamwork, getting practice on oral presentations

Timetable of the course (option I)

• Today: brief introduction to course materials,

topics etc., selection of presentation topics, and two presentations by me

• Two weeks from now: the first presentations

and discussion

– All students of a particular team come to front, the idea is to involve whole team in discussion

• Three weeks from now: more presentations
• Four weeks from now: the last presentations

– 1/2-page learning diaries with Qs: chance to get higher grade if return at least 3 via email to me and Vesa

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Grading of the course (option I)

• 40% based on exam
• 40% based on presentation (how successful

in deepening learning in the area as rated by peer students)

• 20% based on quizzes on prior reading

assignments (last three contact sessions)

• Returning learning diaries (of good quality)

after at least three sessions will result in rounding up of grade J

Grade (1-5)

Learning diaries

• At least from three sessions needed
• About half a page in length
• Deadline Friday the same week as the

respective session

• What did I learn today?
• What was surprising?
• What did I not understand? (in form of Qs)

– We try to give feedback!

Course requirements (option II)

• Reading the textbook “Introduction to Cognitive

Neuroscience” Chs 6-13 (exam based on this book)

• Writing a 10-page essay (including references, font

12) on selected topic of cognitive neuroscience (covered in the book)

• Grading based on the arithmetic average of the

grading of the essay and the book exam

• Rationale: learning by preparing the essay (active /

problem-based learning)

• Due to time limitations not possible to take in more

than 27 students to option I. Option II was created to get everyone the chance to take this course

Timetable of the course (option II)

• Today: brief introduction to course materials,

topics etc., selection of presentation topics for option I can give ideas for selection of topic of essay

• Essay should be completed within

reasonable amount of time from the exam

• Those with option II are welcome to come

and listen to oral presentations of students two, three and four weeks from now, but this is not mandatory for students with option II

How to get the book

The book “Introduction to cognitive neuroscience” is freely downloadable from: http://bookboon.com/en/textbooks/healthcare-science/introduction-to-cognitive-neuroscience

Presentation topics

• The first five chapters of the book give general

background information on history of cognitive neuroscience, anatomical structures of the brain, research methodology, and how neural cells function (now assumed that students are familiar with this from previous course, so no presentations on these -- and if not, please read these chapters)

• “Higher” cognitive functions are covered in the

last eight chapters: attention, memory & learning, plasticity, speech and language, executive functions, emotions, social cognition, and consciousness (presentations by students will be on these topics)

Presentation topics and reading assignments linked

• Presentations are distributed across sessions so

that for:

– 1st session (two weeks from now): memory and learning, plasticity. Please read the respective chapters 7 and 8 of the book prior to session (flipped class approach) – 2nd session: speech and language, executive functions Please read the respective chapters 9-10 of the book prior to session (flipped class approach) – 3rd session: emotions, social cognition, and consciousness Please read the respective chapters 11-13 of the book prior to session (flipped class approach)

Selective filtering by sensory neurons during attention Use of movies as stimuli in neuroimaging studies Disturbances of attention in neurological patients Eye-movements and attention Shifting of attention Learning by conditioning Human memory systems Schemas and long-term memory Neuroanatomy of memory Developmental plasticity: pruning Plasticity and recovery from brain damage Neuroanatomy of language N400 response to semantic incongruence Motor theory of speech perception Semantic concepts in the brain Constituents of executive functions Neuropsychological tests measuring executive functions Prefrontal cortex and executive functions Temporal receptive windows and executive functions Neurochemistry of executive functions Red color: presentations today (by me) Yellow color: presentations on Jan 22rd White color: presentations on Jan 29th Green color: presentations on Feb 5th Neuroanatomy of emotions Dimensional models of emotions Discrete emotions in the brain Both of us disgusted my insula Emotional conditioning in amygdala Theory of mind Neuroanatomy of social cognition Consciousness as awareness of external stimuli Consciousness as self-awareness

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Disturbances of attention in neurological patients Eye-movements and attention Shifting of attention

• Cerebral basis of

shifting of attention between various tasks

Learning by conditioning Human memory systems

• Short-term and long term memory

systems, how is it possible to memorize such vast amounts of information that humans are able to?

Schemas and long-term memory

• How can one remember all the details that

accumulate over one’s lifespan?

• In this presentation, it is explained how

storage into and retrieval of information from long-term memory is based on schemas, and how this explains the seemingly unlimited capacity of human long-term memory

Neuroanatomy of memory

• Description of patient cases where

memory is lost (in multiple ways) following focal brain damage/lesions

Developmental plasticity: pruning Plasticity and recovery from brain damage

• The brain is not fixed: reorganization of the

brain following brain damage or loosing a sense

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Neuroanatomy of language

• Introduction to basic concepts of the

neuroanatomy of language

N400 response to semantic incongruence Motor theory of speech perception Semantic concepts in the brain Constituents of executive functions

• An introduction to executive functions

Neuropsychological tests measuring executive functions Prefrontal cortex and executive functions Temporal receptive windows in the brain

• Description of the concept of brain processing

information across different timescales

Neurochemistry of executive functions

• Description of how disorders and drugs

affecting neurotransmitters impact executive functions

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Neuroanatomy of emotions

• An

introduction to the basic concepts of the neuro- anatomy of emotions

Dimensional models of emotions

How valence (pleasant – unpleasant) and arousal (calm – excited) modulate

• ur brain

Discrete emotions in the brain

Using machine learning methods to decode the neural signatures for different emotions

Both of us disgusted my insula

Watching others expressing emotions and experiencing them yourself activate partly overlapping brain regions

Emotional conditioning in amygdala Theory of mind

• An introduction to a central concept of

social cognition called theory of mind

Neuroanatomy of social cognition Consciousness as awareness of external stimuli

• Introduction to how neural correlates of

conscious percepts have been studied

Consciousness as self- awareness

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Choosing the topic and preparing the presentations….

• Forming of student teams of 3 persons (line-forming

exercise J )

• Each team chooses one topic per session
• The most experienced of each team presents first?
• We will provide additional information, help
• Please do send draft of presentation early on for

commenting, and do not hesitate to schedule an appointment ahead of your presentation for feedback!

• iiro.jaaskelainen@aalto.fi &

vesa.vahermaa@aalto.fi

Selective filtering by sensory neurons during attention Use of movies as stimuli in neuroimaging studies Disturbances of attention in neurological patients Eye-movements and attention Shifting of attention Learning by conditioning Human memory systems Schemas and long-term memory Neuroanatomy of memory Developmental plasticity: pruning Plasticity and recovery from brain damage Neuroanatomy of language N400 response to semantic incongruence Motor theory of speech perception Semantic concepts in the brain Constituents of executive functions Neuropsychological tests measuring executive functions Prefrontal cortex and executive functions Temporal receptive windows and executive functions Neurochemistry of executive functions Red color: presentations today (by me) Yellow color: presentations on Jan 22rd White color: presentations on Jan 29th Green color: presentations on Feb 5th Neuroanatomy of emotions Dimensional models of emotions Discrete emotions in the brain Both of us disgusted my insula Emotional conditioning in amygdala Theory of mind Neuroanatomy of social cognition Consciousness as awareness of external stimuli Consciousness as self-awareness

Today’s two presentations

1) Selective filtering by sensory neurons during attention 2) Use of movies as stimuli in neuroimaging studies

Selective filtering by sensory neurons during attention

Iiro P. Jääskeläinen, Ph.D.

Brain and Mind Laboratory Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering Aalto University School of Science

Selective attention Selective attention

• Selective attention refers to how one can

choose, out of the stream of stimuli, the most task-relevant ones

Selective attention

• Selective attention refers to how one can

choose, out of the stream of stimuli, the most task-relevant ones

• One can selectively attend both spatially

(certain sound source) and to various stimulus features (pitch, specific phonetic sounds etc.)

Selective attention

• Selective attention refers to how one can

choose, out of the stream of stimuli, the most task-relevant ones

• One can selectively attend both spatially

(certain sound source) and to various stimulus features (pitch, specific phonetic sounds etc.)

• The problem of selective attention is one of

the most classical ones

Selective attention

• Selective attention refers to how one can

choose, out of the stream of stimuli, the most task-relevant ones

• One can selectively attend both spatially

(certain sound source) and to various stimulus features (pitch, specific phonetic sounds etc.)

• The problem of selective attention is one of

the most classical ones

• Recent hot Q: how do sensory cortical

neurons “tune in” to attended sound features?

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Cocktail party Neuronal receptive fields

Fritz et al. Nature Neuroscience 2003

Quantification of auditory cortex neurons receptive fields

Passive baseline (unattend condition) vs. detection of target tone of a specific frequency (selective attention condition)

Fritz et al. Nature Neuroscience 2003

Quantification of auditory cortex neurons receptive fields

Fritz et al. Nature Neuroscience 2003

Quantification of auditory cortex neurons receptive fields

Non-human primate area MT(area of the visual system that processes movements) receptive fields modulated dynamically with shifting

• f attentional focus

Similar

• bservations

in the visual system

Womelsdorf et al. Nat Neurosci 2006

Conclusions

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Conclusions

• Compared to passive baseline,

spectrotemporal receptive fields of primary auditory cortical neurons were modulated to encompass attended-tone features (frequenc(y)ies, rate)

Conclusions

• Compared to passive baseline,

spectrotemporal receptive fields of primary auditory cortical neurons were modulated to encompass attended-tone features (frequenc(y)ies, rate)

• This could constitute a filtering mechanism

by which attended sound features are augmented esp. under noisy conditions

Use of movies as stimuli in neuroimaging studies

Iiro P. Jääskeläinen, Ph.D.

Brain and Mind Laboratory Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering Aalto University School of Science

Why naturalistic stimuli? Why naturalistic stimuli?

• “Many studies use simplified static stimuli à

surprisingly little is known about how the human brain operates during real-world experiences” (Spiers & Maguire TINS 2007)

Why naturalistic stimuli?

• “Many studies use simplified static stimuli à

surprisingly little is known about how the human brain operates during real-world experiences” (Spiers & Maguire TINS 2007)

– verification needed

Why naturalistic stimuli?

• “Many studies use simplified static stimuli à

surprisingly little is known about how the human brain operates during real-world experiences” (Spiers & Maguire TINS 2007)

– verification needed

• “Some research questions can only (or best)

be addressed with naturalistic stimuli” (Spiers &

Maguire TINS 2007)

Why naturalistic stimuli?

• “Many studies use simplified static stimuli à

surprisingly little is known about how the human brain operates during real-world experiences” (Spiers & Maguire TINS 2007)

– verification needed

• “Some research questions can only (or best)

be addressed with naturalistic stimuli” (Spiers &

Maguire TINS 2007)

– Social cognition, emotions, humor etc.

Why naturalistic stimuli?

• “Many studies use simplified static stimuli à

surprisingly little is known about how the human brain operates during real-world experiences” (Spiers & Maguire TINS 2007)

– verification needed

• “Some research questions can only (or best)

be addressed with naturalistic stimuli” (Spiers &

Maguire TINS 2007)

– Social cognition, emotions, humor etc. – Economic relevance, e.g., autism costs the UK more than heart disease, cancer, and stroke combined (Buescher AVS et al. JAMA Pediatr 2014)

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Why have movies not been used in fMRI studies until quite recently? Why have movies not been used in fMRI studies until quite recently?

envelopes human body, dress table brown color wood material

Why have movies not been used in fMRI studies until quite recently?

face text envelopes human body, dress photo frames table teeth, lips, chin brown color wood material

Why have movies not been used in fMRI studies until quite recently?

face text envelopes human body, dress photo frames table interior space, room teeth, lips, chin brown color wood material

Why have movies not been used in fMRI studies until quite recently?

face text envelopes human body, dress photo frames table interior space, room teeth, lips, chin brown color wood material

Why have movies not been used in fMRI studies until quite recently?

Across time: social interactions, dynamic movement face text envelopes human body, dress photo frames table interior space, room teeth, lips, chin brown color wood material

Why have movies not been used in fMRI studies until quite recently?

Across time: social interactions, dynamic movement

What saves us: any given voxel responds to limited number of stimuli in movies; specific stimuli temporally dispersed in movies

Pioneering work: two studies in 2004 Pioneering work: two studies in 2004

In the first study, Bartels et al. 2004 showed healthy volunteers the first 22 minutes of a James Bond movie ”Tomorrow never dies” during fMRI

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Pioneering work: two studies in 2004

In the first study, Bartels et al. 2004 showed healthy volunteers the first 22 minutes of a James Bond movie ”Tomorrow never dies” during fMRI

Bartels et al. Human Brain Mapping 2004

Pioneering work: two studies in 2004

In the second study, Hasson et al. Science 2004 showed healthy volunteers a clip from The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Pioneering work: two studies in 2004

In the second study, Hasson et al. Science 2004 showed healthy volunteers a clip from The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

(Pearson r)

Pioneering work: two studies in 2004

In the second study, Hasson et al. Science 2004 showed healthy volunteers a clip from The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

(Pearson r)

Is perception of social interactions shaped by knowledge of genetic kinship?

Bacha-Trams et al. Sci Reps 2017

Is perception of social interactions shaped by knowledge of genetic kinship?

sisters seen as:

Is perception of social interactions shaped by knowledge of genetic kinship?

Bacha-Trams et al. Sci Reps 2017

sisters seen as: genetic vs. adopted

Is perception of social interactions shaped by knowledge of genetic kinship?

Bacha-Trams et al. Sci Reps 2017 … N = 30 Bacha-Trams et al. Sci Reps 2017

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… N = 30 Bacha-Trams et al. Sci Reps 2017

ISC first used by Hasson et al. Science 2004; first report of ISC of prefrontal and emotional regions by Jaaskelainen et al. Open Neuroimg J 2008

… N = 30 Bacha-Trams et al. Sci Reps 2017

ISC first used by Hasson et al. Science 2004; first report of ISC of prefrontal and emotional regions by Jaaskelainen et al. Open Neuroimg J 2008

Contrast between genetic vs. non-genetic

… N = 30 Bacha-Trams et al. Sci Reps 2017 Bacha-Trams et al. Sci Reps 2017 Bacha-Trams et al. Sci Reps 2017 Glerean et al. Hum Brain Mapp 2016

Neurotypical controls High-functioning autistic subjects

Glerean et al. Hum Brain Mapp 2016

Neurotypical controls High-functioning autistic subjects

Glerean et al. Hum Brain Mapp 2016

Neurotypical controls High-functioning autistic subjects

Glerean et al. Hum Brain Mapp 2016

Similarity of autism quotient scores for subject pair Similarity of VTL subnetwork between subject pairs NT-NT pair AS-AS pair NT-AS pair

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How to improve the approach? There are some highly promising leads

Glerean et al. Brain Connectivity 2012 Glerean et al. Soc. Neurosci. Annual meeting 2011 Glerean et al. Brain Connectivity 2012 Chang et al. Neuroimage 2015

Magnetoencephalography: faster temporal resolution Not just the stimulus and brain response: self-reports of how naturalistic stimuli are experienced can be used in the analyses

Nummenmaa et al. PNAS 2012 Nummenmaa et al. PNAS 2012 https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Yi-hsuan_Yang/publication/254004106/figure/fig1/AS: 298208942149638@1448109960909/Fig-2-The-2D-valence-arousal-emotion-space-Russell-1980-the-position-of-the.png Nummenmaa et al. PNAS 2012

07/01/19 13

Nummenmaa et al. PNAS 2012

ISC over all timepoints without modeling with emotional experiences

• Listening to a narrative, you hear: “A dog, panting,

lies on the grass”

• Listening to a narrative, you hear: “A dog, panting,

lies on the grass”

• What comes to your mind?
• Listening to a narrative, you hear: “A dog, panting,

lies on the grass”

• What comes to your mind?

– What type of dog? What color of dog? In a park? Trees? Sunshine? Hot summer day? Children playing nearby?

Saalasti et al. (submitted)

• Listening to a narrative, you hear: “A dog, panting,

lies on the grass”

• What comes to your mind?

– What type of dog? What color of dog? In a park? Trees? Sunshine? Hot summer day? Children playing nearby?

STS / MTG

Conclusions Conclusions

• Movies offer a powerful tool to study social

cognition and emotional functions in health and disorders

Conclusions

• Movies offer a powerful tool to study social

cognition and emotional functions in health and disorders

• Development of analysis and

neuroimaging methodology is critically important

Conclusions

• Movies offer a powerful tool to study social

cognition and emotional functions in health and disorders

• Development of analysis and

neuroimaging methodology is critically important

• Measuring subjective experiences is

important in addition to inspecting stimulus-brain response relationships