My experience in brain cognitive research for
summer minority high school students
Ron Hu, M.D.
Johnson Foundation Summer Research Program ‘01
Summer 2001
Summer Program
Summer Program
 Picture
The Knot Tying Experiment
Tests how brain engages in motor learning
Subjects learn two sailor’s knots
Brain oxygenation and performance data gathered
Clove hitch
Bowline
Hypotheses
1.The prefrontal cortex is involved in learning motor
function
2.An imagery period will enhance the performance of
subjects
3.Repetition learning in the subjects will subsequently
decrease brain activation.
Methods
18 subjects randomly split into two groups
Exp group asked to imagine tying knot before trial
Control group had rest period before trial
Each subject tested 4 times with at least one day
between each test
Performance was compared
Control
Baseline Video
Experimental Baseline Video
Gap
Trial Period
Imagery Trial Period
Oxygenation Prefrontal cortex
Change in oxygenation from baseline
0.14
0.12
0.1
0.08
0.06
0.04
0.02
0
-0.02
-0.04
-0.06
Video
Imagery
Trial
Pre-frontal cortex activation was associated with
imagining and actual knot-tying
Best Performer
Baseline
Video
Imagery
Trial
Worst performer
D12
1.4
1.3
1.2
1.1
1
0.9
0.8
0.7
0.6
900
Baseline
920
Video
940
960
Sample Point
980
Imagery Trial
1000
1020
Performance
Imagery period did not improve performance in our subjects
Repetition learning
Day1 vs Day4 Clove H.
0.4
0.35
0.3
0.25
Day 1
0.2
Day 4
0.15
0.1
0.05
0
Imagery
Trial
Learning did occur as subjects gained experience in tying
the knots, and the overall activation decreased
Since Summer Program
The future
Prefrontal
Cortex
Thank you!