Facilities

Entry
The force lab.
The force lab.
Fiber optic force transducer with housing from NeuroImaging Solutions, LLC.
Fiber optic force transducer from NeuroImaging Solutions, LLC.
Button load cells mounted for pinch grip.
Button load cells mounted for pinch grip.
The Kinereach© virtual reality workstation for testing arm movements.
A friction-free reaching surface is created by air jets under each arm rest.
Getting ready to collect data at the Siemens Prisma Fit 3T
Instructing a participant how to use the force transducer during an MRI
Instructing a participant how to use the force transducer during an MRI

The Brain and Behavior (B&B) Laboratory is located in the Recreation Building on the Penn State University Park campus. Our group consists of neuroscientists, biomechanists, and engineers.

The B&B lab has two experimental suites (ForceLab and Kinereach Lab), a meeting area, and office space dedicated to personnel within the B&B group for collaborative work, computing, printing, and scientific meetings. The B&B lab is located a half-mile from the 3T MRI facility within the Social, Life, and Engineering Imaging Center (SLEIC).

Research

The B&B lab is engaged in several lines of research focused on the neural control of voluntary movement. We use multiple systems neuroscience techniques to collect behavioral, neuroimaging, and genetic information. We are pursuing the following research objectives:

The structure and function of the brain in ADHD in young adults (ages 18-25).
The planning and control of visually and memory-guided precision grip force control.
The planning and control of unimanual and bimanual reaching movements.
The genetic polymorphisms that are correlated with the above measurements.
The clinical and cognitive measures that are correlated with the above measurements.
How alcohol and tobacco use among young adults correlates with the above measurements.

We have 3 behavioral laboratories in the Recreation Building: Force Lab, Kinereach ™ Lab, and Cognition Lab.

Force Lab

Our Force Lab is equipped to measure precision grip force produced by the thumb and index finger of either hand. We have two force recording systems: a fiber-optic system that is used in the MR-environment and a traditional load cell system that is not used in the MR-environment. Both force-recording systems allow us to derive different variables about movement using the force output information.

In a grip force experiment, participants sit in a chair with a specially designed armrest that supports the arm when the elbow is at approximately 100 degrees of flexion. Participants will hold a small device, about the size of a matchbox, between their thumb and index finger in a pinch grip. A large monitor displays force targets and on-line visual feedback about performance. We can manipulate variables such as target force amplitude, duration of force production, and the amount and timing of visual feedback.

Kinereach™ Lab

Our Kinereach™ Lab measures the characteristics of unimanual and bimanual arm movements in a virtual-reality environment. Participants sit facing the reaching space with both arms supported just below shoulder height over a horizontal surface. The surface is affected by an air-jet system to reduce friction and gravity. For some sessions, all joints distal to the elbow in each arm are immobilized using an adjustable brace that is fitted to the air-sled support. Visual targets and a cursor are projected on an upside down television and are reflected in a horizontal mirror positioned below this screen. The mirror gives the illusion that the displayed targets and cursor are in the same horizontal plane as the hands.

In a typical Kinereach™ experiment, movement targets are displayed on the screen along with a start position. The participant positions the cursor within the start circle, and a tone signals the participant to move to the target. Visual feedback about movement velocity is also displayed. Participants are instructed to keep the movements within a specified speed range. If these criteria are met, points can be awarded for accuracy. A variety of targets are presented, and the session typically lasts one hour.

Cognition Lab

The B&B Lab conducts a variety of clinical, cognitive, and performance measures. These include, Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Fourth Edition (WAIS-IV)(Wechsler, 2008), BIS-11 (Patton & Stanford, 1995), The Conners’ Adult ADHD Rating Scales (CAARS™), Edinburgh Handedness Inventory (Oldfield, 1971), Purdue Pegboard Test (Buddenberg & Davis, 2000), and grip dynamometer tests for maximum grip strength. In addition, we collect a detailed health history that focuses on neurological health and alcohol and tobacco use.

Individuals will be asked to volunteer DNA by swab of the inside of their cheek using up to 10 cotton swabs to collect buccal (i.e., cheek) cells on the swabs. DNA will be genotyped for specific markers related to attention, impulsivity, alcohol and tobacco use. These include, but are not limited to, dopamine, acetylcholine, norepinephrine, and serotonin related genes. Genotyping is completed in collaboration with Dr. Helen Kamens.

In addition to these behavioral labs, the B&B lab conducts neuroimaging experiments at SLEIC.

The 3T MRI facility houses a Siemens Magnetom Trio 3T whole body MRI scanner with a full set of head, body, knee, ankle, spine, and breast imaging coils. The facility consists of a 1,000 sq-ft imaging suite including a magnet room, control room, waiting room, and simulator room; a 200 sq-ft, waiting room and interview room; a 300 sq-ft suite containing an office, conference room, and server room; and a greeting room with an integrated intercom communication system. The facility has a full scale MRI mock/simulator as well as MRI-compatible stimulus presentation and response equipment available for fMRI research.