大连理工国家重点实验室发表PNAS重要文章

　　

生物通报道：本期（7月11日）美国国家科学院院刊PNAS一篇来自大连理工大学（Dalian University of Technology）大脑与认知科学国家重点实验室（State Key Laboratory for Brain and Cognitive Sciences），中科院精神健康实验室（Key Laboratory for Mental Health），以及美国佛罗里达州大学McKnight脑研究院共同完成的文章，解析了文化语言对大脑神经的影响。

PNAS | July 11, 2006 | vol. 103 | no. 28 | 10775-10780 
Arithmetic processing in the brain shaped by cultures
[Abstract]

全世界数学领域里阿拉伯数字的广泛使用引起了科学家们对于不同语言国家使用这些数字的神经反应过程的兴趣，是不是用中文说话和用英文说话的人在使用相同的阿拉伯数字的时候大脑反应机制一样呢？

毕业于上海交通大学，现任佛罗里达州大学Asst Professor的Yijun Liu和其他研究人员通过功能性核磁共振（MRI）检测了母语分别是中文和英文的人的大脑皮层反应，结果发现母语为英语的大部分使用语言过程是通过左边perisylvian 皮层进行例如简单加法运算的大脑神经计算，而母语为中文的则是visuo-premotor视觉前驱的。并且虽然在两组实验中研究人员发现在数字计算比较中外侧皮层（inferior parietal cortex）都会被激活，但是功能性MRI联合分析也揭示了在中文和英文实验组中的神经激活区别。因此这一研究进一步说明了不同的生物数字编码也学会被在语言获得和其它例如数学学习策略和教育机制之类的文化因素影响，并不能完全用语言来解释这些差异。
（生物通：张迪）

Yijun Liu, Asst Professor, 
BS, Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao-Tong University, 1986
PhD, Neurophysiology, University of Texas Health Science Cente, 1999

Primary Department: Psychiatry, COM
Secondary Department: Neuroscience, COM


Office Room Number: L4-100M
Lab Room Number: L4-131B
Campus Building: McKnight Brain Institute


MBI-UF Core Facilities Used:
Advanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Spectroscopy (AMRIS) Facility

Research interests within the MBI-UF Programmatic Matrix: Brain Traumatic Injury, Cognitive Neuro-Science, Computational Neuro-Science, Learning & Memory, Neuro-Engineering, Sensory Systems, Structural Neurobiology & Functional Neuro-Imaging, Substance Abuse & Addiction, 
Searchable neuro-related research terms and diseases: MRI Neural-Circuitry Obesity Cognition Memory Sensory-System 

Description of Neuro-related Research:
The research interest in this lab, located at the University of Florida McKnight Brain Institute, is to develop neuroimaging methods for both basic neuroscience study and clinical investigation. In particular, we use functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to model neural-system circuits mediating various brain functions and disorders. 

Current work includes:

(1) Using fMRI to probe the neuropathological and neuropharmacological bases of certain psychiatric disorders, such as affective disorders (e.g., Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder), Autism/Abnormal Repetitive Behavior, Schizophrenia, etc., and their treatment;

(2) Development of in vivo neural-system modeling methods to explore the role of subcortical structures (e.g., the thalamus, basal ganglia, midbrain, and cerebellum) in the perceptual and adaptive processes underlying human cognition and affection, and especially, in the maintenance of our (self-) consciousness; 

(3) Developemnt of approaches to the real timing of neural-hormonal interaction, e.g., an fMRI model of hypothalamic function in the control of feeding behavior and use these approaches to study obesity, diabetes, drinking and gambling problems, and eating disorders (inclduing substance abuse) in humans; and

(4) A Dynamic Brain Mapping (DBM) program using the real-time fMRI techniques, with integration of recent development in MR phase imaging, perfusion imaging, and diffusion imaging.

Training in this lab is focused on the basic skills of functional brain imaging, MRI physics and applications, paradigm designs for both neurophysiological and behavioral experiments, computer programming and biomedical image processing.