Angela D. Staples, Ph.D. - US grants

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This application addresses broad Challenge Area (R21): Basic Research on Self-Regulation, RFA-AG-11-010: Exploratory/developmental research applications examining basic mechanisms of self-regulation. Our knowledge of the real-time dynamics of emotion regulation is limited in part due to the labor- and time-intensive nature of current coding systems as well as reliance on statistical methods that ignore time-relevant information and social context. The main purpose of this research is to evaluate the impact of a social partner on age-related differences in basic processes of emotion regulation. We propose to advance current understanding of basic processes of emotion regulation by i) measuring communicative displays of facial expression, vocal prosody, and head movement through automated acquisition with high temporal resolution, ii) inclusion of a social partner to test differences between within- person and between-person regulation of emotional expression, and iii) estimate contributions of emotion experience and sensitivity in the perception of emotion cues to age-related differences in emotion regulation. These findings will further our understanding of basic emotion regulation processes and provide a foundation on which to build interventions that have the potential to transform research in communication throughout the lifespan. There is a growing literature documenting positive age-related changes in emotion regulation from young through late adulthood. Older adults report being more effective at regulating their emotions compared to younger adults. In contrast other studies suggest age-related declines in the ability to express and perceive emotional information. Concurrent age- related improvements in emotion regulation and declines in expression and perception of negative emotions require explanation in the context of emotion regulation during a conversation. Conversations require simultaneous regulation of subjective emotions, regulation of expressed emotions, and perception of expressed emotions of the conversational partner. It is as yet unclear how these observed age-related differences in perception and expression of emotions contribute to emotion regulation in natural interpersonal intergenerational interactions. The goals of the current project are to (a) examine differences in emotion regulation depending on whether a conversational partner is present or absent, (b) to evaluate age-related differences in emotion regulation related to the age of a conversational partner, and (c) to estimate contributions of the ability to express one's own emotions and perceive others' emotions on observed dynamics of emotion regulation. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The main purpose of this research is to evaluate the impact of a social partner on age-related differences in basic processes of emotion regulation. This research will provide a foundation on which to build interventions for communication and to develop non-invasive diagnostic tools for early detection of physiological and psychological disorders.

This Major Research Instrumentation award supports the acquisition of an Electroencephalography (EEG) system (ANT Neuro eego mylab128-channel) to establish the first EEG laboratory for brain imaging at Eastern Michigan University (EMU). EEG is a non-invasive human brain imaging method that measures neural electrical activity in the human brain arising from thinking and behavior with millisecond accuracy. The EEG laboratory critically expands neuroscience training and research in the Departments of Psychology, Communication Sciences and Disorders, and the interdisciplinary Neuroscience Program (Psychology, Biology, Chemistry). The EEG laboratory also has a substantial regional impact on the institutional community. EMU is recognized as one of the most diverse universities in the Midwest. The EEG laboratory allows EMU to contribute to the broader aims of the scientific community to recruit, retain, and promote members of minoritized groups into STEM fields. The laboratory allows for workshops to train local and regional faculty and students on neuroimaging, serve as a catalyst for the development of research assistantships and fellowships targeted for underrepresented students, including those from rural communities, and be central in creating a mentoring partnership with the McNair Scholars Program for students interested in EEG research. The EEG laboratory enhances collaborative research efforts within EMU, with partnering regional institutions, and foster national collaborations in developmental neuroscience.

Knowledge of the brain mechanisms underlying fundamental cognitive and behavioral processes (e.g. attention and language) in infants/children and older adults, the precise timing of developmental changes, and knowledge of crucial environmental factors that impact this timing has lagged behind research with younger adults and remains a frontier of investigation. EEG is non-invasive and well-tolerated by infants and children. This team examines the EEG signals and developmental timing of key cognitive and behavioral processes including attention and working memory, motor control, self-regulation, sleep, and communication. EEG event-related potentials, frequency (power), and brain connectivity in developing neural networks are explored. The electrophysiological mechanisms (spectral power and connectivity) underpinning the development of the default mode and dorsal attention networks and orienting system in infancy/toddlerhood are examined to clarify the relationships between attention and social-communication. The neural correlates of change of bimanual and unimanual motor control across the lifespan as well as the neural underpinnings of inconsistent hand preference and hand dominance are being investigated. Investigators are examining developmental changes and environmental precursors of event-related potentials hypothesized to underlie self-regulation. Investigation of the functions of napping, including neurophysiology and behavior, in early childhood provide vital information on reciprocal relations between the development of sleep-wake regulation and the development of attention. Finally, few studies have examined the neurophysiological mechanisms underlying working memory-linguistic processes in older adults. EEG is being used to explore the long-term learning effects and the compensatory processes that occur in older adults.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.