NoCo-Lab
Neurobiology of Cognition Laboratory
The NoCo-Lab investigates the neurobiological basis of cognition
Our research focuses on processes such as decision-making, the planning of actions, self-perception, or working memory. We want to understand how our brain generates and optimizes these cognitive processes and how they are affected by neuro-psychiatric diseases and aging. We try hard to make our research publically available and strive for the transfer of knowledge into practical applications.
The research methods of our group entail behavioral experiments, including the measurement of eye and hand movements. Brain imaging (e.g. fMRI) further enables us to uncover the neural basis of cognitive performance in the human brain.
READ MORE ABOUT OUR RESEARCH PROJECTS
Das NoCo-Lab erforscht die neurobiologischen Grundlagen kognitiver Leistungen
Wir untersuchen Entscheidungsprozesse, das Planen von Handlungen, die Selbstwahrnehmung, oder das Arbeitsgedächtnis. Wir wollen verstehen wie unser Gehirn diese kognitiven Leistungen hevorbringt und optimiert und wie neuro-psychiatrische Erkrankungen und Altern diese Leistungen verändern. Das Wissen, das wir generieren, möchten wir zugänglich und nutzbar machen.
Unsere Untersuchungsmethoden umfassen Verhaltensexperimente am Computer, einschließlich der Messung von Augen- und Handbewegungen. Bildgebende Untersuchungen (z.B. mittels fMRT) ermöglichen es uns, die neuronalen Grundlagen kognitiver Leistungen im menschlichen Gehirn „sichtbar“ zu machen.
INFORMIEREN SIE SICH ÜBER UNSERE FORSCHUNGSPROJEKTE (ENGLISCH)
Recent News
Checkout our new paper in PNAS: "Impaired perception of temporal contiguity between action and effect is associated with disorders of agency in schizophrenia" by Manuel Roth, Axel Lindner, Klaus Hesse, Dirk Wildgruber, Hong Yu Wong and Marc Buehner [pub]. Our study focuses on Schizophrenia patients exhibtining so-called delusions of control. During such delusions patients experience that external forces are causing their own thoughts and actions. Being inspired by Bayesian causal inference models, our study now shows that such explicit misconceptions of causal relationships in patients with delusions of control are paralleled by disturbed perceptions of temporal contiguity between actions and their consequences. Our study highlights the value of Bayesian accounts to explain psychosis. More specifically, it depicts how such accounts could be used in the future to quantitatively assess and possibly predict delusions of control in schizophrenia. Congratulations to Manuel and to all co-authors for making this great project possible!
Sonja's paper on "Cross-hemispheric recruitment during action planning with increasing task demand" just surfaced at Scientific Reports [pub], congratulations! Sonja continued earlier work of Melanie Höller-Wallscheid [pub], who demonstrated that whenever we get close to our working memory capacity, otherwise lateralized prefrontal brain processes for working memory maintenance turn bilateral. Sonja now extended these findings by showing that such a cross-hemispheric recruitment is present also in areas beyond prefrontal cortex and during other cognitive tasks, namely during action planning. This suggests that cross-hemispheric recruitment could serve as a general mechanism of the brain to provide aditional processing power whenever we reach our cognitive capacity limits.
NoCo-Lab Principle Investigator: PD Dr. Axel Lindner
Tübingen Center for Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy & Centre of Neurology, Division of Neuropsychology, Hertie-Institute for Clinical Brain Research. University of Tübingen, Germany