How the brain represents abstract information to help people generalize
The geometry of neural representations reflecting abstraction in humans
['FUNDING_R01'] · COLUMBIA UNIV NEW YORK MORNINGSIDE · NIH-11314493
This project looks at how healthy adults' brains form simplified activity patterns that let them apply past learning to new situations using MRI while they do a learning task.
Quick facts
| Phase | ['FUNDING_R01'] |
|---|---|
| Study type | Nih_funding |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | COLUMBIA UNIV NEW YORK MORNINGSIDE (nih funded) |
| Locations | 1 site (NEW YORK, UNITED STATES) |
| Trial ID | NIH-11314493 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this research studies
You would come to the lab and perform a computer-based learning task while lying in an MRI scanner so researchers can record your brain activity. The task includes multiple stimuli with a hidden structure that people can learn and then use to infer changes for other items. Scientists will analyze the geometry and dimensionality of multivoxel brain activity to see whether the brain uses compact, abstract formats that support generalization and how factors like learning rate and motivation affect those formats. The approach adapts methods from animal work and builds on pilot data showing people can learn and infer the hidden structure.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are adult volunteers who can undergo MRI scanning and are comfortable performing computerized learning tasks, typically without major neurological or unstable psychiatric conditions.
Not a fit: People with MRI contraindications, young children, or individuals with severe uncontrolled neurological or psychiatric disorders are unlikely to be eligible or to directly benefit from participation.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could improve understanding of how the brain generalizes from past experiences and may eventually inform treatments for conditions with impaired generalization, such as anxiety or PTSD.
How similar studies have performed: Related animal experiments and some human fMRI work support the idea of abstract neural formats, but applying this specific geometric analysis to human learning and its modulation is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
NEW YORK, UNITED STATES
- COLUMBIA UNIV NEW YORK MORNINGSIDE — NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (ACTIVE)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: SHOHAMY, DAPHNA — COLUMBIA UNIV NEW YORK MORNINGSIDE
- Study coordinator: SHOHAMY, DAPHNA
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.