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Dissertation
Can cerebral blood flow be classically conditioned?: a study using olfactory stimulation and near infrared spectroscopy
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Drexel University
2000
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17918/00007827
Abstract
Near infrared spectroscopy (nIRS) has recently emerged as a possible candidate for low-cost, portable monitoring of cerebral blood volume and oxygenation in humans. As nIRS utilizes low intensity light rather than radioactive tracers or magnetic fields, it can be safely used to monitor cognitive processes over longer periods of time than most forms of functional brain imaging. To determine the sensitivity of this technology, we conducted a replicated single-subject design, where nIRS was used to monitor hemodynamic activity of the inferior frontal and anterior temporal lobe cortex (right side) of 9 participants during a paired associates learning task. It was hypothesized that a pattern of increased blood volume and oxygenation (unconditioned response) normally elicited by aversive olfactory stimulation (unconditioned stimulus) could be trained to occur in conjunction with the presentation of computer generated color (conditioned stimulus). Two supra-threshold intensities of Hydrogen Sulfide (H₂S) were used as the unconditioned stimulus, and presented via an olfactometer (Kobel and Hummel, 1991). Visual comparative analysis of data from acquisition, extinction, and spontaneous recovery periods did not show a discrete response suggesting that there was insufficient specificity of nIRS for this type of task. While patterns of trained cortical evoked response have been observed during other learning tasks in MEG studies (Wik et al., 1996), the negative results of this study raise the question of whether such patterns can be observed in neurovascular activity. Visual analysis of nIRS data did provide moderate evidence of increased blood volume and/or oxygenation which was temporally associated with the delivery of H₂S during the behavioral acquisition phase. As such, nIRS holds potential as a means of monitoring neurovascular activity during extended learning tasks.
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Details
- Title
- Can cerebral blood flow be classically conditioned?
- Creators
- Theodore Andrew Zabel
- Contributors
- Douglas L. Chute (Advisor) - Drexel University, Drexel University (1970-)
- Awarding Institution
- Drexel University
- Degree Awarded
- Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
- Publisher
- Drexel University; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Resource Type
- Dissertation
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- College of Arts and Sciences; Drexel University
- Other Identifier
- 991021889006104721