Workshop

HRV - basic concepts und analysis approaches

HRV is a powerful way to learn about autonomic regulation. Different methods are used to extract information about heartbeat variability from ECG or pulse sensor data. André Schulz (University of Luxembourg) will give an introduction to the main concepts and analysis approaches. All interested persons, PhD students and post-doctoral students of the ICAN, psychology and related disciplines are welcome. We are looking forward to your coming!

NEW DATE: 01.07.2024, 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
Location: Johanniterufer 15, JU3.140
Speaker: Prof. Dr. André Schulz (University of Luxembourg)
Registration: Write an Email to icanuni-trierde

News

New head coil for fMRI

ICAN receives funding from the state of Rhineland-Palatinate for MRI head-coil

At ICAN, Trier University and the Krankenhaus der Barmherzigen Brüder Trier are working together to research the neuronal basis of human experience and action. Among other things, they are using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the Center for Radiology at the Hospital of the Brüderkrankenhaus. The researchers can now add a 32-channel head coil to the equipment there with the help of funding from the Rhineland-Palatinate state research fund. This enables high-resolution images of the head.

Talk

Physiology meets Technology: Current Trends and Future Prospects of Transcutaneous Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation

Transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) is a non-invasive procedure for stimulating the afferent fibers of the vagus nerve. It can be used to specifically modulate activity in brain regions such as the nucleus tractus solitarius, the locus coeruleus and the limbic system. This has an effect on neurotransmitters such as noradrenaline, serotonin and gamma-aminobutyric acid. In addition to clinical applications, such as the treatment of epilepsy and depression, taVNS is also increasingly being used in cognitive neuroresearch. In his lecture, Prof. Julian Koenig will talk about current trends and future perspectives in (clinical) taVNS research and application.

Date: 18.06.2024 - 6:00 pm - 8.00 pm
Location: D 435
Speaker: Prof. Dr. Julian Koenig (University Hospital Cologne)
Registration: Open for all!

Workshop

Getting started with fNIRS experimental design and analysis

Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) is a non-invasive, inexpensive, and flexible method to measure cortical brain activation. Similarly to fMRI, fNIRS uses the hemodynamic response to neural activity, to determine active brain areas with relatively high spatial precision. Other than fMRI, which makes use of the different magnetic properties of oxygenated and deoxygenated hemoglobin, fNIRS uses the different spectral properties of oxygenated and deoxygenated hemoglobin to measure local changes in blood flow.

On a theoretical level, the workshop will cover the physiological and technical foundations of fNIRS, as well as fNIRS experimental design, data preprocessing, and analysis. Additionally, the participants will learn how to program fNIRS experiments and prepare fNIRS measurements.

Date: 24.05.2024 - 9:00 am - 3:00 pm
Location: D 034
Speaker: Dr. Christoph Geißler (Trier University)
Registration: Write an Email to icanuni-trierde

Talk

Endophenotypic markers and personality correlates in populations at increased risk for schizophrenia-spectrum disorders

Schizotypy is a multifaceted latent personality construct comprising traits that mirror the schizophrenia symptom clusters. From the viewpoint of psychiatry, schizotypy is genetically associated with schizophrenia and is directly related with the risk it carries for conversion into disease. From a psychologically-oriented viewpoint, schizotypy refers to non-pathological personality traits that lie in a continuum, and only when it exceeds a certain threshold, it indicates liability to schizophrenia-related disease states. Schizotypal traits have a mean prevalence of approximately 5% - 8% in the general population. The talk discusses the genetic, neurophysiological, neuroanatomical and neurocognitive backgrounds of schizotypy.

Date: 22.05.2024 - 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Location: D 435
Speaker: Prof. Dr. Stella Giakoumaki (University of Crete)
Registration: Open for all