Physiology of Cognition and Behavior: The contribution of non-invasive Brain Stimulation
Event details
| Date | 21.01.2015 |
| Hour | 12:00 › 13:00 |
| Speaker | Prof. Michael A. Nitsche, M.D., Georg-August-University,Goettingen, Germany. |
| Location | |
| Category | Conferences - Seminars |
Neuroplasticity and functional connectivity are important physiological derivates of cognition, and behaviour. Recently introduced non-invasive brain stimulation techniques are suited to induce, and modulate respective physiological processes. One of these techniques is transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). Its primary mechanism of action is a polarity-dependent subthreshold shift of resting membrane potentials, the after-effects of stimulation share features of well-known neuroplastic phenomena. Beyond these regional effects, tDCS has been shown recently to alter cortical, as well as cortico-subcortical functional network connectivity. Moreover, recently it was shown that also oscillatory brain activity can be modulated non-invasively in humans by transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS). This talk will give an overview about the physiological effects of these brain stimulation tools. It will be shown furthermore how combination of brain stimulation with functional imaging approaches can enhance our knowledge about the physiological foundation of cognition and behaviour relevantly, and how to make use of this approach to improve therapeutic treatment of patients suffering from neurological and psychiatric diseases. Finally, an outlook about promising future research approaches in this field will be given.
Bio: Michael A. Nitsche serves as Professor at the Department for Clinical Neurophysiology of the Georg-August-University, Goettingen. He is the head of the Laboratory for Systemic Neurosciences, and a leading expert in plasticity research in humans, including non-invasive brain stimulation, functional imaging, neuropsychopharmacology, and cognitive sciences. He received grants from various funding organizations, including the German Research Foundation (DFG), and the German Ministry for Research and Education (BMBF). He published so far more than 100 research papers in excellent international peer-reviewed journals, and is member of the editorial boards of numerous neuroscientific journals, including The Journal of Neuroscience, and Brain Stimulation. He received the Alois Kornmüller, and Richard Jung Awards by the German Society of Clinical Neurophysiology, and the GESET Award by the German Society of Electrostimulation and Electrotherapy for his work on non-invasive brain stimulation in humans. Clinically he is the chief epileptologist at the University Medical Center in Goettingen.
Bio: Michael A. Nitsche serves as Professor at the Department for Clinical Neurophysiology of the Georg-August-University, Goettingen. He is the head of the Laboratory for Systemic Neurosciences, and a leading expert in plasticity research in humans, including non-invasive brain stimulation, functional imaging, neuropsychopharmacology, and cognitive sciences. He received grants from various funding organizations, including the German Research Foundation (DFG), and the German Ministry for Research and Education (BMBF). He published so far more than 100 research papers in excellent international peer-reviewed journals, and is member of the editorial boards of numerous neuroscientific journals, including The Journal of Neuroscience, and Brain Stimulation. He received the Alois Kornmüller, and Richard Jung Awards by the German Society of Clinical Neurophysiology, and the GESET Award by the German Society of Electrostimulation and Electrotherapy for his work on non-invasive brain stimulation in humans. Clinically he is the chief epileptologist at the University Medical Center in Goettingen.
Practical information
- Informed public
- Free
Organizer
- Center for Neuroprosthetics