Projects
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.
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.
Closing the loop: towards contemporary assessment and modulation of visual attention KU Leuven
Stroke-induced attention deficits have a large impact on activities of daily living as well as on the recovery from post-stroke disorders in the motor domain and other cognitive domains. An overarching approach that involves 1) a reliable, inclusive, and accessible assessment of attention, 2) a deep understanding of its neural mechanisms, and 3) a therapeutic intervention tailored to the individual is pivotal for the advancement of ...
The study of precursors and factors associated with joint attention behaviours in people with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities. KU Leuven
Effects of anticipatory anxiety on attention control: an integrated psychophysiological approach Ghent University
Anxiety is a powerful motivational drive, with substantial impact on attention allocation strategies and processes. Both the scientific literature and the clinical practice suggest that different types of anxiety (e.g., social anxiety vs. specific phobias) might differentially influence attention. As a consequence, perception can be changed in different, and sometimes opposite, ways. In this project we investigate the effects of different ...
Attention for somatic sensations and pain: an intrapersonal and interpersonal approach Ghent University
The project aims at investigating "normal" and "dysfunctional" attentional mechanisms in normal and clinical populations. Also investigated is how and why attention is paid to pain in others.
SLOW, DEEP BREATHING TO DAMPEN PAIN: EVALUATING THE EFFICACY AND INVESTIGATING THE UNDERLYING PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGICAL MECHANISMS KU Leuven
Pain is the most common symptom for which people seek medical care. Chronic pain is common worldwide, and often not treated adequately, thereby leading to reduced quality of life and high healthcare costs. Recently, there has been increasing attention toward the complexity and biopsychosocial nature of pain, and the need for multidisciplinary pain management has been increasingly acknowledged. Various mind-body interventions are being used ...