Proposal

Neuropsychology is one of the academic and research areas within the behavioral Neuroscience program in the Department of Psychology in the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science. This program is spread across three different campuses. Monica Rosselli, a professor of psychology, heads the FAU Neuropsychology laboratory at the Davie campushttp://psy2.fau.edu/~rosselli/NeuroLab/HomeNeuroWeb.html). This neuropsychology laboratory conducts research and provides training in human neuropsychology to FAU undergraduate and graduate students. 

Neuropsychology studies brain organization of behavior and cognitive functioning. Recently, this field has aimed to understand the cerebral mechanisms of emotional behaviors. There are different techniques used in neuropsychology research. Some of the more common techniques are tests of cognitive ability used to tap into various cognitive functions such as verbal ability, visuospatial skills, and memory, which might also be sensitive to brain dysfunction. Other techniques in neuropsychology are electrophysiological measures that record the spontaneous electrical activity of the brain (i.e. electroencephalogram - EEG) or the electrical potential following the presentation of the stimulus (i.e. evoke related potentials- ERPs).  The analysis of the associations between cognitive test performance and EEG/ERP patterns in normal and abnormal populations are currently studied in our FAU neuropsychology laboratory using borrowed equipment from Nova Southeastern University (the EEG equipment at our lab was bought 12 years ago and has become obsolete). With the collaboration of Jaime Tartar, professor of psychology at Nova Southeastern University, Monica Rosselli and her students have found that an electrophysiological measure (an ERP component) of attention to emotionally-charged visual stimuli is reduced in HIV-infected individuals compared to normal controls. These findings were published in three well recognized scientific journals, the Journal of Clinical Neurophysiology (Tartar, McIntosh, Rosselli et al, 2013), the International Journal of psychophysiology  (Tartar, McIntosh, Rosselli et al, 2012), and AIDs and Behavior (McIntosh & Rosselli, 2012).  Future research in our lab will determine the extent to which training in increasing emotion appraisal/ regulation processes in HIV+ individuals can increase physiological measures of emotion processing. 

The EEG/ERP equipment that was used to collect the data for the above publications was borrowed from Nova Southeastern University since the one at the FAU neuropsychology lab was extremely old and therefore useless. This circumstance has implied that the data had to be collected with a very restricted schedule and only few FAU students were able to benefit from this academic/research experience. In order for us to make this technology available to more of our students, we need to replace the obsolete EEG system that we currently have with one that reflects the latest technology. Therefore, we are requesting funding for the purchase of a 32-channel actiCHamp system and associated hardware and software needed to run it. This system has a revolutionary development that integrates high-end components for electrophysiological (EEG/ERP) research in one easy to use, highly versatile, and affordable system. It also provides the possibility to integrate other electrophysiological measures of emotion such as the galvanic skin response  (GSR), electromyogram (EMG) and electrocardiogram (ECG) giving our faculty and students an increased possibility of testing psychophysiological hypotheses.

The funds that we are requesting will not only improve our research capacity considerably but will also have a direct and positive impact on the academic community at FAU and the public at Broward county. Specifically, the new EEG/ERP system will enable us to increase the number of graduate and undergraduate students who can use this equipment to develop their research projects. So far our data has been collected in people with infection brain disorders (HIV) but my students and I have already developed research protocols that will include other populations with neurological conditions such as alcohol abuse.  This project proposes thatinhibitory performance, behaviorally measured by the withholding of a prepotent response (i.e., Go/No Go), the cancellation of a prepotent response (i.e., Stop Signal), and interference inhibition (i.e., Simon task) will predict heavy binge drinkers among 18-25 year-old young adults. If we get the funds to buy the EEG/ERP system, this project will propose an association between inhibitory performance and the ERP components.

 Also, another topic of interest in the FAU neuropsychology lab has been the understanding of the brain mechanisms of bilingualism. My students (one graduate and two undergraduates) currently have three research protocols running on this topic (two of which are undergraduate honor thesis); specifically with  the acquisition of the new EEG/ERP equipment one of my graduate students will look at  the differences in responses to emotional stimuli when presented in first versus second language in  English-Spanish bilinguals, measured via galvanic skin response (GSR) and ERPs. Observing said differences would allow for a deeper comprehension of a phenomenon commonly reported in bilingual speakers, in which the emotional experience is considerably more intense in their native (first) language compared to a language acquired later in life. 

 Since we have already developed a successful project at the Children’s Diagnostic and Treatment Center, in Ft. Lauderdale, in collaboration with Nova Southeastern University, the Broward community is previously aware of the active neuropsychology research program at FAU. Expanding the neuroscience research program will raise this community’s consciousness of FAU as a leader in applied research and graduate and undergraduate education.

To summarize the requested funds and the equipment that we are requesting will have the following benefits:

1)   Undergraduate Students:  Increase opportunities to FAU undergraduate students to gain research experience in neuropsychology and psychophysiology by working in the FAU neuropsychology lab. The neuropsychology lab has traditionally attracted excellent undergraduate students. We currently have three students who were awardees of the undergraduate research awards. In addition, the work of two undergraduates were selected for presentation at the Association of Psychological Science meeting last May in Washington DC and three additional students are submitting their projects for consideration to the APS annual meeting in San Francisco this year.  It is worthy of mention that most of the undergraduates in my lab want to continue their graduate education. The students’ experience with this new technology will build on their research skills and will help them to become stronger candidates for graduate school in neuroscience and related fields. Finally, this new equipment will give the undergraduates at the Davie campus the same research opportunities the Boca students have, closing the gap of opportunities that has existed in the program between the two campuses.

2)    Graduate students. Access to cutting-edge technology in neuroscience to a greater number of FAU graduate students; learning this technology will open the fan of job possibilities for them. Also, this will increase visibility of FAU as an institution with innovative technology that will attract high quality graduate applicants.

3)   Faculty. Growth collaboration with other faculty members inside or outside the Department of Psychology leading to surge productivity and external funding.

4)    Community. The acquisition of new technology will increase visibility for FAU’s psychology research program in the Broward community. 

The proposal asks for

(1)The acti32CHamp system is currently priced at $28,400 and includes the following:
- actiCHamp base module with one actiCHamp 32 channel module
- one actiCAP 32 channel electrode set
- two actiCAP active signal electrode (0.6m cable)
- two actiCAP active ground electrodes (2m cable)
- two flat electrodes
- one powerpack box
- four 32 channel actiCHamp standard caps
- one photosensor (basic) with AUX adapter
- one carrying bag
- one starter set* including fifty leur-lock syringes, one jar of SuperVisc gel, blunted needles, washers, surgical tape, one surgical pen, cleaning brushes, athletic wrap, head measuring tape, and one styrofoam head
- operating instructions
(2) The actiCHamp base module includes 8 AUX ports, to plug in sensors to measure GSR, EMG, and ECG, respiration. We are requesting two flat electrodes to measure muscle electrical activity (EMG) ($170) and the GSR module to assess galvanic skin response ($790.00).

The actiCHamp  system comes with its own softaware (PyCorder Program Software CD)

Additional costs: Shipping and insurance is $120

Although the costs for keeping the equipment running are minimal, internal and external funding will be explored after the third year