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18HorizonsOpportunityOpticalimagingOpticalimagingisaninvesti-gativetoolthatshedslightonhowthehumanbrainprocessesinormationandtherelatedimpactsonnormalandpatholog-icalunction.Itisarelativelynewfeldonlyinexistenceaboutthreedecadesbutinrecentyearsithasgrownsignifcantly.NMUpsychologyproessorshopetointroducestudentstothisnon-invasivetechniquebyobtainingapieceoopticalimagingequipmentoruseinclassroomteach-ingandlaboratoryresearch.TheopticalimagingdevicethatNMUisseekingwouldtransmitaharmlessbeamoinraredlightromemittersplacedonastudyparticipantshead.Thelightreractsrombraintissueasitundergoeschangesindensityduringneurologicalactivity.Sensorsplacedontheparticipantsheaddetectthereractedlightandacomputerprocessesthedatatoprovideinormationaboutbrainactivity.Inormationgatheredromthistechniqueprovidesresearchersandstudentstheabilitytoconnectchangesinbrainactivitytobehaviorallowingthemaglimpseintobrainprocessesinvolvedinmemorylanguageoraspectsohumanbehavior.Theunitsestimatedcostis200000.ImnotawareoanycollegethissizethathasthisequipmentsoitwouldbeapointodistinctionorNorthernsaysproessorHarryWhitaker.Brainimagingistypicallyusedonlyindoctoralprograms.Iweweretoacquirethisinstrumentwecouldattractupper-echelonstudentsandassurethemtheycouldgetintoanydoctoralprogramwiththisskill.Thatwouldntbeanemptypromise.Threeproessorsinourdepartmenthavedonesomeimagingworkandwithcolleaguesinbiologywecouldcreateacriticalmassoacultyexperiencedinthisprocess.PsychologyProessorAdamPrussaystherearesignifcantadvantagestoopticalimaging.Itacquiresimagesatthespeedolightwithoutbeingprohibitiveinsize.ItalsoisbecomingapreerredalternativetoFunctionalMagneticResonanceImagingwhichisnoticeablymoreexpensiveandrequiresspecializedacilities.HesaysthenoiseandsmallenclosurerequiredorFMRIcreatesdiscomortorstudyparticipantsthatcanintererewithneuropsychologicalassessments.Incontrastopticalimagingcanbeconductedrightintheclassroomonaparticipantwhoiswearingalightweightopticalimagingcap.OpticalimagingallowsyoutostudyverbalbehaviorsorexamplewithoutthedistractionoFMRIPrussays.TheonlytoolwehaveavailablenowinthepsychologydepartmentisEEGelectroencephalographyinwhichelectrodesonthescalppickuptinyelectricalsignalsorimpulsesinthebrain.Thegoaloneuroscienceistounderstandhowthebrainproducesbehaviorandemotions.Advancesinbrainimagingassistinthatgoal.Thefeldisnewenoughthatnotmanypeoplearedoingitsotheresahighpossibilitywecoulddiscoversomethingnew.Thatsexciting.WhitakersaystheeorttoacquireopticalimagingequipmentcoincideswithaproposaltoestablishanewneuroscienceprogramatNorthern.Thereareonly27undergraduateneuroscienceprogramsintheUnitedStatesandonlytwoothoseareatpubliccomprehensiveuniversities.ThecombinationoneuroscienceandopticalimagingwouldreallyputNMUonthemap.AdamPrusleftandHarryWhitaker