Distinguished Lecture Series: Riitta Hari (Helsinki)
Please note: There will be an opportunity for doctoral students to meet with Riitta Hari on Friday, 2 October, 10.00-11.00, Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, Hörsaal (lecture hall, across the courtyard).
Abstract: Riitta Hari will discuss the recent progress of magnetoencephalography (MEG) in tracking activation sequences in the human brain. The weak magnetic fields elicited by concerted action of neuronal groups are picked up with superconducting sensors outside the head. Current whole-scalp-covering arrays comprise hundreds of sensors, and efficient noise suppression methods are available.
The millisecond time resolution of MEG is helpful for studies of the brain basis of sensory processing, movements, and cognition. Examples will be given about recordings of both spontaneous and evoked brain activity. MEG’s temporal resolution can be further exploited by applying “frequency tagging”, in which the amplitudes of stimuli are periodically modulated and brain signals at the corresponding frequencies are followed. Such method can be applied to e.g. studies of binaural interaction and of visual perception of ambiguous images.Riitta Hari’s background is in clinical neurophysiology and medicine. Since 1982 she has been directing the Brain Research Unit (BRU) of the Low Temperature Laboratory and since 2003 the Advanced Magnetic Imaging Centre, Helsinki University of Technology, Finland. With her colleagues she has been developing all aspects of magnetoencephalography (MEG), with the main focus on studies of sensory and cognitive brain functions of healthy subjects and of various patient groups. She is a foreign member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences.
http://www.helsinki.fi/ktl/stanford_delegation/riittahari.htm
All are welcome!
The Berlin School of Mind and Brain runs a mailing list to advertise lectures and seminars. Subscribe by sending an blank e-mail to: mind.brain.verteiler-subscribe@lists.hu-berlin.de
