Projects
Cortical mechanisms for attention shifts to visual objects in noisy backgrounds: an integrated ERP-fMRI study. KU Leuven
The role of attentional mechanism and cognitive control in depression: an experimental investigation of underlying neurobiological working mechanisms Ghent University
Recent neuro-cognitive research has related mood disorders to a deficit in strategic attentional processes within a frontocortical-subcortical network. The aim of this project is to explore these prefrontal attentional problems through rTMS and ERP during experimental attention paradigms, to investigate the functional relation between cognitive control and clinical symptomatology.
Neural Mechanism of Olfactory Bottom-Up Attention KU Leuven
From very early on, babies are able to distinguish novel from familiar objects, pictures or sounds. Novel stimuli tend to be exciting and thus, given a choice, babies will spend much more time looking and investigating novel items than familiar ones. This so-called “orienting response” has been widely used by developmental psychologists to study learning and memory. Novelty processing is also affected by numerous psychiatric disorders, ...
An integrated investigation of attentional demands and coding mechanisms supporting serial order WM Ghent University
Working memory (WM) for serial order is an essential cognitive ability
for different tasks such as logical reasoning, mental calculation or
any other task involving the temporary maintenance of sequential
information. Many theoretical accounts have been proposed but
empirical data allowing to delineate the different accounts remain
scarce. Two types of accounts can be identified. A first type of
account ...
Molecular mechanisms underlying the attenuation of receptormediated signaling in plants Ghent University
Plants own a large number of plasma membrane receptor kinases (RKs) to control growth and development. Plant RKs share a common domain organization with the animal membrane receptors and similarly undergo endocytosis. Ligand-triggered endocytosis of RKs, also known as receptormediated endocytosis, is a common mechanism for signaling attenuation in animals. In this project we will use the best-studied RK in Arabidopsis, the receptor for ...
Mechanisms of Forgetting: Boundaries and conditions for reactivation-mediated attenuation of memory expression KU Leuven
Recent findings have revitalized the notion that memory retrieval is a dynamic process through which a consolidated fear memory can return to a malleable state. In this active state, memory can be affected by pharmacological and behavioral interventions that produce an attenuation of later memory expression (i.e., post-reactivation amnesia). These findings have inspired a plethora of studies investigating the mechanisms and consequences of ...
Characterizing the attentional mechanism of multisensory synchronous stimulation to improve the rehabilitation of unilateral spatial neglect. KU Leuven
Stroke is a frequent and severe neurological condition that can lead to persistent problems. Patients can experience difficulties in moving their limbs or may experience trouble with their speech. In addition to these more salient problems, more subtle impairments in cognitive functions may also be present. For instance, some patients may have difficulties orienting their attention towards stimuli on one side of the environment. This ...
An investigation into the role of the ventral attention network as modulator of spatial attention using behavioral and neuroimaging methods Ghent University
The aim of this project is to obtain a better understanding of the mechanisms of spatial attention. We focus on the interaction between the dorsal and ventral attention network and how they are functionally recruited. We aim to investigate the influence of executive functioning on this interaction and to pay particular attention to the functional role of the ventral network.