|
2005 > |
Course
Description |
Introduction
to Cognitive Neuroscience
Rainer
Goebel
Maastricht
University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
The aim of
Cognitive Neuroscience is to unravel the neural mechanisms that underlie higher
levels of human mental activity, such as visual and auditory perception,
language, motor control, attention, memory, imaging, decision making, emotion
and more generally: consciousness. The study of these mental processes was
revolutionized by the advent of functional brain scanning techniques, most
notably functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI).
This non-invasive technique created the possibility to image the human brain
during the execution of many cognitive tasks with high spatial resolution.
While we
will focus in this course on fMRI studies, other
techniques used in Cognitive Neuroscience will also be discussed, most notably
Electroencephalography (EEG) and Transcranial
Magnetic Stimulation (TMS). The former possess a high temporal resolution
complementing fMRI. TMS allows to stimulate the brain
and to interfere with normal processing. These techniques together provide
exciting windows in the neural correlates of cognition, which greatly advance
our knowledge on how the brain enables the mind.
While the
morning sessions provide knowledge on Cognitive Neuroscience topics and
methods, the small group meetings will provide details on analyzing fMRI and EEG data. Various statistical and visualization
techniques will be demonstrated and students will have the opportunity to
actively explore fMRI (see http://ww.brainvoyager.com) and EEG (see
http://www.besa.de) software.
General background reading:
Gazzaniga M., Ivry, R.B &
Magnum, R.M. (Eds) (2002). Cognitive Neuroscience, Second Edition. W.W. Norton
& Co., New York.
Lecture 1. Overview and historical perspective PowerPoint Presentation
· The emergence of the field “Cognitive Neuroscience”
· Overview of neuroimaging methods
Required
Readings
Optional Readings
Raichle ME (2001) Cognitive
Neuroscience – Bold insights. Nature,
412, 128-130.
Lecture 2. Imaging cognition – fMRI mental chronometry PowerPoint
Presentation
· Neural correlates of higher cognitive functions
· Spatial and temporal resolution of fMRI
Required
Readings
Optional Readings
Lecture 3. Combining fMRI and EEG/MEG PowerPoint
Presentation
· Principles of EEG/MEG
· Spatial and temporal resolution of EEG/MEG
· Combined fMRI and EEG analysis
Required
Readings
Optional Readings
Lecture 4. Virtually lesioning the human brain with TMS PowerPoint
Presentation
· Principles of TMS
· Brain activity as the independent variable
· Spatio-temporal hypothesis testing
Required
Readings
Optional Readings
Hallett, M. (2000) Transcranial magnetic stimulation and the human brain. Nature, 406, 147-150.
Lecture 5. Imaging altered states of consciousness PowerPoint
Presentation
· Neural correlates of hallucinations, hypnosis etc.
· Limitations of cognitive neuroimaging
Required
Readings
Optional Readings
Assignments
Students who take the course for credit will be asked to write a brief (5-7 page) paper that critical reviews one or more of the articles read in class, or to comment on other work that is related to the issues discussed in the class.
Rainer
Goebel
Rainer Goebel, PhD is full professor of Cognitive Neuroscience, head of the Maastricht Brain Imaging Center (M-BIC), and fellow and board member of the F.C. Donders Center for Cognitive Neuroimaging. After his study of psychology and computer science, he developed artificial neural network models for visual processes. In 1993, he received the Heinz Maier Leibnitz Advancement award in Cognitive Science from the German minister of science and education for a publication on the binding problem. In 1994 he received the Heinz Billing award from the Max Planck Society for developing a software package for the creation and simulation of neural network models. During his postdoctoral time at the Max Planck Institute for Brain Research (under Prof. Wolf Singer), he extended his interests and expertise to human brain imaging and developed and commercialized one of the leading fMRI software packages, called “BrainVoyager” (http://www.BrainVoyager.com), which contains advanced analysis tools and high-quality visualization capabilities. In 1997/1998 he was invited to become fellow at the Institute for Advanced Studies in Berlin, Germany. Since the year 2000, he is full professor for Cognitive Neuroscience in the Faculty of Psychology at Maastricht University.
The synergy between method development and the application of new analysis tools to challenging cognitive tasks has made his research group nationally and internationally recognized as performing pioneering work in the field of Cognitive Neuroimaging. His latest methodological contributions focus on effective connectivity (Granger causality mapping), Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI), Independent Component Analysis (ICA), cortex-based intersubject alignment of brain structures, real-time fMRI and Brain-Computer-Interfaces (BCI). His content research in the last five years includes experiments on auditory hallucinations, mental imagery, visual attention and awareness, language processing and sensory-motor integration and fMRI neurofeedback