This study section reviews applications on the neurobiological structures, mechanisms, and principles underlying specific aspects of learning, memory, and associated neural plasticity. The scope of this committee is broad, including studies of the molecular and cellular changes, functional circuitry, and neural coding and integration that underlie learning and memory processes, as well as their disorders. Particular emphasis is placed on studies that directly relate behavioral/cognitive processes to their neural substrates.

I. Cellular Plasticity. Studies aimed at understanding cellular events that underlie the integration of information and interactions among neurons subserving learning and memory.

II. Neurochemistry, Neuropharmacology, and Molecular Genetics. Studies of molecular and genetic mechanisms that underlie specific aspects of memory function, including selective neurochemical lesions, molecular-genetic manipulations, molecular correlates, pharmacological manipulations, and drug effects.

III. Functional Circuitry. Anatomical pathways and behavioral physiology of brain structures that mediate learning and memory, including purely anatomical studies and analyses of the effects of brain injury or reversible inactivation of specific brain structures. Specification and dissociation of properties of different learning and memory systems, including those that mediate declarative/explicit memory, working memory, motor/habit learning, emotional learning, and other forms of implicit memory.

IV. Neural Correlates of Learning and Memory. Characterization of neural activity using event- related potentials, electro- and magneto-encephalographic activity, single neuron and population firing patterns, and brain imaging associated with learning and memory.

V. Disorders of Learning and Memory. Studies of learning and memory deficits resulting from trauma, transient ischemia, Alzheimer's disease, and other disorders that shed light on normal and abnormal learning and memory functions.

VI. Development and Aging. Studies of the development of memory capacity and age-related memory loss that shed light on neurobiological mechanisms of learning and memory.

VII. Computational and Theoretical Modeling. Studies that focus on how synaptic plasticity, neural circuity, and interactions among brain structures and systems learning and memory performance.

Behavior Study Sections. Behavioral studies that directly involve manipulation, measurement, or modeling of neural mechanisms are relevant to CN-1. Studies that involve only behavioral measures or assessment, or computational/theoretical models at the level of behavioral processes should be reviewed by a Behavior Study Section.

BDCN (Brain Disorders and Clinical Neuroscience). These study sections and CN-1 study sections have common interests in disorders of learning and memory. CN-1 will consider applications that examine disorders of learning and memory as they elucidate specific normal memory processes. Clinical study sections will consider applications intended to characterize the basis or consequences of specific brain disorders.

CMN-4 (Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience 4). Signal Transduction 2 and CN-1 have common interests in cellular forms of plasticity such as LTP and LTD. Studies delineating intracellular and molecular mechanisms are more appropriate for CMN-4. Studies addressing rules and mechanisms of plasticity that impact on specific aspects of higher levels of analysis are more appropriate for CN-1.

CN-2 (Cognitive Neuroscience-2). While memory is common to many cognitive neuroscience applications, assignment will be based on the primary intent of the research and not simply on the presence or absence of memory in the research paradigm. CN-1 is more appropriate to review applications in which learning or memory is the primary focus of the study. CN-2 is more appropriate to review applications in which learning or memory is a part of a more general cognitive function.

DMG (Diagnostic Imaging). For studies specifically concerned with development of imaging technology, DMG is appropriate. However, where the proposed research is more oriented toward the application of imaging techniques for elucidating neural biological processes underlying learning and memory, CN-1 is more appropriate.

DN-2 (Developmental Neuroscience 2). Studies of functional synaptic plasticity (such as synaptic efficacy and receptive field organization) associated with cognitive processes such as learning and memory are more appropriate for CN-1. Studies of plasticity associated with fundamental mechanisms involved in the establishment, maintenance, and reorganization of synaptic connections may be more appropriate for DN -2.

HAR (Hearing Research). While both CN-1 and HAR may review applications dealing with cortical processing of auditory information, CN-1 is more appropriate to review studies that use the auditory information as a basis to elucidate the neural mechanisms underlying learning and memory. HAR is more appropriate to review applications that focus on the structure and function of the auditory system.

HUD-1, 2, and 3 (Human Development and Aging). While the three HUD study sections also review the development of learning and memory, CN-1 is more appropriate to review applications that address the neurobiological mechanisms underlying learning and memory.

RNM (Diagnostic Radiology). Both CN-1 and RNM may review applications dealing with functional brain imaging; however, CN-1 is more appropriate to review those applications using imaging as a tool to study the neurobiological processes of learning and memory . RNM is more appropriate to review applications concerning development and evaluation of imaging techniques for evaluating the neural processing involved in learning and memory.

Areas of technical competency of this committee include: molecular mechanisms, cellular physiology, neuroanatomy, animal neuropsychology, physiology, functional brain imaging, human neuropsychology, computational/theoretical modeling, invertebrate systems, hormonal and other neuromodulatory effects, pharmacology, behavioral neurogenetics, and associative learning

This study section reviews a broad range of applications on the neurobiological mechanisms and principles underlying cognitive functions other than learning and memory. The scope of the committee is broad, including molecular and cellular mechanisms, functional circuitry, and neural coding and integration that underlie behavioral/cognitive processes as well as their disorders. Particular emphasis is placed on studies that directly relate behavioral/cognitive processes to their neural substrates. Cognitive functions reviewed will include, but are not limited to, the following topics.

I. Perception, Motor Function and Sensorimotor Integration. Specific examples include pattern and object recognition in all sensory domains, cross-modal integration of sensory information, spatial transformations within the brain, decision making and motor planning.

II. Attention, including spatial- and feature-based mechanisms in all sensory domains. Influences of attention on information flow within the brain in both normal and disease states.

III. Language, including speech perception.

IV. Hemispheric Specialization

V. Theoretical/Computational Modeling of neural mechanisms underlying specific cognitive functions. Dynamics and spatiotemporal organization of neural populations. New techniques, analytic methods, ways to visualize complex data sets that show promise of elucidating neural processes underlying cognitive functions.

VI. Other Cognitive Functions: such as executive processes, conscious versus non- conscious processing, imagery.

VII. Development and Aging.

VIII. Brain Disorders, Pharmacological and Environmental Factors as they elucidate the neurobiological bases of the above cognitive processes.

IX. Emotional and Motivational Processes that influence the above cognitive processes.

Behavior Study Sections. Behavioral studies that have direct implications for understanding the neurobiological basis of cognition will be considered. Studies that involve only behavioral measures of assessment and computational/theoretical models at the level of behavioral processes should be reviewed by a Behavior Study Section.

BDCN (Brain Disorders and Clinical Neuroscience). Studies of clinical populations and interventions are appropriate for this study section only when they are focused on revealing neural mechanisms of cognition. Studies characterizing cognitive deficits, their time course or treatment should be reviewed by the appropriate clinically oriented study section.

CMS (Sensory Disorders and Language). While CN-2 and CMS have common interest in studies of language, CN-2 is more appropriate to review those studies concerning with the neurobiological processes underlying language and comprehension. CMS is more appropriate to review the mechanistic aspects of language and speech.

CN-1 (Cognitive Neuroscience 1). While memory is common to many cognitive neuroscience applications, assignment will be based on the primary intent of the research and not simply on the presence or absence of learning or memory in the research paradigm .

DMG (Diagnostic Imaging) . For studies specifically concerned with development of imaging technology, DMG is appropriate. However, where the proposed research is more oriented toward the application of imaging techniques for elucidating neural biological processes underlying cognition, CN-2 is more appropriate.

HAR (Hearing Research) . While both CN-2 and HAR may review applications dealing with cortical processing of auditory information, CN-2 is more appropriate to review studies that use the auditory information as a basis to elucidate the neural mechanisms underlying language, attention, perception, attention, executive processes, consciousness, hemispheric specialization and other cognitive functions. HAR is more appropriate to review applications that focus on the structure and function of the auditory system.

HUD-1, 2, and 3 (Human Development and Aging). While the three HUD study sections also review the development of the perception, attention and language formation, CN-2 is more appropriate to review applications that focus on the neurobiological mechanisms underlying such cognitive functions.

IFN-1 (Integrative and Functional Neuroscience 1). While studies of emotional and motivational processes that influence cognition are appropriate for CN-2, studies to elucidate the structural and functional bases of motivational and emotional behavior are more appropriate for IFN-1.

IFN-4 (Integrative and Functional Neuroscience 4). Studies with the intent to elucidate the neurobiological mechanisms underlying cognition are appropriate for CN-2. Thalamic, subthalamic, and cerebellar mechanisms of sensory and motor functions are more appropriate for IFN-4. Cortical sensory/motor mechanisms are more appropriate for CN-2.

RNM (Diagnostic Radiology) . Both CN-2 and RNM may review applications dealing with functional brain imaging; however, CN-2 is more appropriate to review those applications using imaging as a tool to study the neurobiological processes of cognitive functions such as language, perception, attention, executive processes, consciousness, imagery and hemispheric specialization. RNM is more appropriate to review applications concerning development and evaluation of imaging techniques for evaluating the neural processing involved in cognition.

VISB (Visual Sciences B) . While there may be some overlap of VISB and CN-2, CN-2 is more appropriate to review studies concerning vision as a part of underlying neurobiological processes for attention, perception, hemispherical specialization, and other cognitive functions. VISB is more appropriate to review applications focused on normal and abnormal visual and visual-motor processes

Areas of technical competency of this committee include: cognitive psychology, neuroimaging, familiarity with special populations (e.g., children, aging, drug abusers), neuropsychology, statistical methods, computational models and neural networks, applied mathematics, genetics, animal models, and neuroanatomy.

DRAFT VERSION FOR PUBLIC COMMENT

Last update: May 30, 1997