45,213 research outputs found
An introduction to time-resolved decoding analysis for M/EEG
The human brain is constantly processing and integrating information in order
to make decisions and interact with the world, for tasks from recognizing a
familiar face to playing a game of tennis. These complex cognitive processes
require communication between large populations of neurons. The non-invasive
neuroimaging methods of electroencephalography (EEG) and magnetoencephalography
(MEG) provide population measures of neural activity with millisecond precision
that allow us to study the temporal dynamics of cognitive processes. However,
multi-sensor M/EEG data is inherently high dimensional, making it difficult to
parse important signal from noise. Multivariate pattern analysis (MVPA) or
"decoding" methods offer vast potential for understanding high-dimensional
M/EEG neural data. MVPA can be used to distinguish between different conditions
and map the time courses of various neural processes, from basic sensory
processing to high-level cognitive processes. In this chapter, we discuss the
practical aspects of performing decoding analyses on M/EEG data as well as the
limitations of the method, and then we discuss some applications for
understanding representational dynamics in the human brain
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Real-time decoding of question-and-answer speech dialogue using human cortical activity.
Natural communication often occurs in dialogue, differentially engaging auditory and sensorimotor brain regions during listening and speaking. However, previous attempts to decode speech directly from the human brain typically consider listening or speaking tasks in isolation. Here, human participants listened to questions and responded aloud with answers while we used high-density electrocorticography (ECoG) recordings to detect when they heard or said an utterance and to then decode the utterance's identity. Because certain answers were only plausible responses to certain questions, we could dynamically update the prior probabilities of each answer using the decoded question likelihoods as context. We decode produced and perceived utterances with accuracy rates as high as 61% and 76%, respectively (chance is 7% and 20%). Contextual integration of decoded question likelihoods significantly improves answer decoding. These results demonstrate real-time decoding of speech in an interactive, conversational setting, which has important implications for patients who are unable to communicate
Fast, invariant representation for human action in the visual system
Humans can effortlessly recognize others' actions in the presence of complex
transformations, such as changes in viewpoint. Several studies have located the
regions in the brain involved in invariant action recognition, however, the
underlying neural computations remain poorly understood. We use
magnetoencephalography (MEG) decoding and a dataset of well-controlled,
naturalistic videos of five actions (run, walk, jump, eat, drink) performed by
different actors at different viewpoints to study the computational steps used
to recognize actions across complex transformations. In particular, we ask when
the brain discounts changes in 3D viewpoint relative to when it initially
discriminates between actions. We measure the latency difference between
invariant and non-invariant action decoding when subjects view full videos as
well as form-depleted and motion-depleted stimuli. Our results show no
difference in decoding latency or temporal profile between invariant and
non-invariant action recognition in full videos. However, when either form or
motion information is removed from the stimulus set, we observe a decrease and
delay in invariant action decoding. Our results suggest that the brain
recognizes actions and builds invariance to complex transformations at the same
time, and that both form and motion information are crucial for fast, invariant
action recognition
Using fMRI in experimental philosophy: Exploring the prospects
This chapter analyses the prospects of using neuroimaging methods, in particular functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), for philosophical purposes. To do so, it will use two case studies from the field of emotion research: Greene et al. (2001) used fMRI to uncover the mental processes underlying moral intuitions, while Lindquist et al. (2012) used fMRI to inform the debate around the nature of a specific mental process, namely, emotion. These studies illustrate two main approaches in cognitive neuroscience: Reverse inference and ontology testing, respectively. With regards to Greene et al.’s study, the use of Neurosynth (Yarkoni 2011) will show that the available formulations of reverse inference, although viable a priori, seem to be of limited use in practice. On the other hand, the discussion of Lindquist et al.’s study will present the so far neglected potential of ontology-testing approaches to inform philosophical questions
A framework for generalized group testing with inhibitors and its potential application in neuroscience
The main goal of group testing with inhibitors (GTI) is to efficiently
identify a small number of defective items and inhibitor items in a large set
of items. A test on a subset of items is positive if the subset satisfies some
specific properties. Inhibitor items cancel the effects of defective items,
which often make the outcome of a test containing defective items negative.
Different GTI models can be formulated by considering how specific properties
have different cancellation effects. This work introduces generalized GTI
(GGTI) in which a new type of items is added, i.e., hybrid items. A hybrid item
plays the roles of both defectives items and inhibitor items. Since the number
of instances of GGTI is large (more than 7 million), we introduce a framework
for classifying all types of items non-adaptively, i.e., all tests are designed
in advance. We then explain how GGTI can be used to classify neurons in
neuroscience. Finally, we show how to realize our proposed scheme in practice
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