RTFM 's here
30 september 2007
I sing the brain electric
The Brain is Electric...
The History of the Electroencephalogram
Building Maps of the Mind
Computers and Brain Waves
EEG Brain Topography
The Future
Internet Resources on Brain Mapping
and mucho more..
Treatment of Epilepsia
Japanese neuroscientists have clarified the molecular basis of the intractable epileptic disorder known as severe myoclonic epilepsy in infancy (SMEI). In the process they have redefined the position and role of an important protein involved in controlling the firing of nerve impulses in the brain. The work also has generated a mouse model of severe myoclonic epilepsy that the researchers hope to use to study the condition and how to treat it.
More than 200 different mutations of the human SCN1A gene are known to be associated with human epileptic disorders including SMEI. The gene itself encodes an ion-channel protein, Nav1.1, which forms a pore in the plasma membrane that controls the in-flow of electrically-charged sodium ions into nerve cells. This is a significant step in the generation of nerve impulses. There is a homologous gene, Scn1a, in mice.
In a recent paper in The Journal of Neuroscience1, researchers from the RIKEN Brain Science Institute, Wako, and their colleagues, describe how they produced a ‘knock-in’ mouse, by introducing a disease-causing, nonsense mutation found in SMEI patients into the middle of the Scn1a gene. Mouse pups which inherited copies of the mutant gene from both mother and father were markedly smaller (Fig. 1), developed epilepsy and an unstable gait by the second week after birth, and died within three weeks. Pups with only one copy of the mutant gene began epileptic seizures in the third week, and about 40% had died within three months.
Previous studies suggested that the Nav1.1 protein was distributed rather evenly throughout the brain and could be found in the projections of nerve cells known as dendrites. Using three different antibodies as probes, the RIKEN-based research team corrected this picture. The Nav1.1 proteins are more likely to be found on axons and cell bodies. In particular, they are found on inhibitory nerve cells that express the calcium-binding protein parvalbumin, often in the area known as the axon initial segment where nerve impulses are generated.
By measuring and comparing the output of excitatory and inhibitory neurons in normal and mutant mice, the research team found that the Nav1.1 channel proteins were needed not to initiate firing of the excitatory nerve, but to maintain the inhibitory pulse, thus preventing epileptic seizures.
“We hope to develop effective therapies for this intractable epilepsy from further work,” says project leader Kazuhiro Yamakawa.
Digital Art for Rehabilitation
A new (ergotherapist) digital kid on the block ?
Looks fascinating (multisensorial integration)
Auto da Fe EEG-electrodes (shielded)
The important thing to know is that the ModEEG requires shielded electrode cables. Most electrode cables you see for sale online are not shielded.
The cables I (and many others) have made and getting good results comprise of the following:
o 25 feet (for 2ch + DLR) of RG-174 shielded coax cable (a common cable type available from many electronic suppliers).
o WBT-DSC electrodes from The Electrode Store: www.electrodestore.com/EEG/EEG.lasso?ran=3C2EC848&S=1...
o a handful of Molex .062" male and female connectors (get a bunch as I kept going back to store after I messed up some crimp attempts)
o mini-XLR or RCA to connect cable to your openeeg box. I used the regular (large) XLR balanced microphone connectors from Radio Shack and it seems to work fine.
I also use silver earclip electrodes for when I want to use the ear as reference (most of the time)
www.electrodestore.com/SpecialPurpose/SP.lasso?ran=5D55FB...
Also - I purchased some male .062" molex connectors and soldered them onto a short lead coming off of the earclip electrodes...that way I can swing from the earclip electrode to plugging in a regular disc electrode for bipolar montage (two electrodes on the scalp). I can post pics of this if this rambling is not making sense.
Here's pics on how to solder the Molex connectors to the shielded cable:
openeeg.sourceforge.net/doc/gallery/electrode-howto/
And an older OpenEEG newsgroup thread where this method is discussed:
sourceforge.net/mailarchive/message.php?msg_id=6977501
See my other EEG electrode picture posted here for a better shot of the earclip electrode 'mini-plug' made out of male/female molex and heat shrink.
BCI and INTUITION in Greece
Tutorial 2: Brain-Computer Interfaces principles and development Athens, Greece, October 4-5, 2007, Speaker: Gunther Krausz, Ing. Mag. g.tec medical engineering GmbH, Austria One of the most fascinating fields of science is BCI (Brain-Computer Interface) research. The idea behind is to control something just by the power of your mind. Performing a mental task such as the imagery of a hand movement or simply putting attention to a target stimulus causes changes in the brain's activity. Such changes can be measured using e.g. the EEG (electroencephalogram). A BCI-system detects such changes of activation of the human brain and transforms it into a control signal which can be used to move a cursor on a computer monitor, to control a robotic arm, to select letters on a screen or even to interact with a virtual environment. There are patients suffering from a complete paralysis (locked-in) who can use a BCI as the only possible way to communicate with their environment. Different approaches and methods to achieve this challenge were developed and tested by a number of research groups all over the world during the past 10 - 20 years. In the first part of the session an overview of various techniques and resulting problems will be given. As a second part we plan to do a life-experiment using a BCI to spell words or to control a simple VR application. A volunteer subject may participate in this experiment.
1st session: 17:00 – 18:20, BCI fundamental concepts - definition of a brain computer interface - the EEG, non-invasive recording of brain activity - assets and drawbacks of EEG-based BCI - BCI approaches: the slow cortical potentials - BCI approaches: oscillatory activity, alpha-, mu- and beta rhythms - BCI approaches: steady-state evoked potentials - BCI approaches: the P-300 approach - limits of speed and accuracy with EEG-based BCI applications 2nd session: 18:30 – 19:30, BCI application – life experiment - use of the EEG electrode cap, how to mount EEG electrodes - individual training of volunteer subject - see the classification result / performance of the subject - BCI-based control of a VR-application (together with Franco Tecchia, if possible) - short movie about using BCI for navigation in a VR (cave, London) |
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19 september 2007
Old nature never dies ?
Senior citizens are set to take the world by storm, and the effects will be profound.
A recent report from the United Nations predicts that by 2047, the number of old people (aged 60 years and over) will exceed the number of children worldwide for the first time in the history of humanity. In more developed regions, this is already the case, due to a drop in birth rate and a decline in mortality at old age. Indeed, the fastest growing population among the elderly is the oldest — those aged 80 years and over.
The implications of this shift in demographics are huge and touch on all facets of human life — social, political and economic. Not least, the health of older people deteriorates with increasing age as the incidence of diseases, such as cancer, cardiovascular disorders and neurodegeneration, rises. It is vital, therefore, that we learn more about the process of ageing, and unravel the intricate connections that exist between growing older and disease. This is not necessarily because we would like to live forever, but rather because such research should reveal ways in which ageing populations can stay healthier and feel younger for longer.
Here, we are pleased to present a selection of recent articles from Nature, all of which probe the molecular mechanisms that underlie ageing and age-related disorders. These pieces highlight some of the most exciting developments in ageing research, and we hope that they prove to be informative and stimulating.
Finally, we thank Sirtris Pharmaceuticals, Inc. for their support in producing this collection. As always, Nature Publishing Group carries sole responsibility for the editorial content.
Marie-Therese Heemels, Senior Editor, Nature
Brains on the Move in Leuven
BC _I Robot
Interesting congres in Leuven
BCI Meets Robotics: Challenging Issues in Brain-Computer Interaction and Shared Control | ||||
| November, 19-20 2007, KU Leuven, Belgium Last years have witnessed advances in Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCI), but how far is this new field from controlling robotics devices? The goal of the workshop is to introduce recent advances in brain-computer interfaces on the one hand, and on shared control and task recognition on the other. This workshop will give a new perspective on how humans and robots cooperate to fulfill a challenging task. The concept of adaptive shared autonomy will be introduced and its relevance for BCI applications will be illustrated. The presentations will consist of a series of invited talks and poster presentations. Also, the European MAIA project will report their achievements in non-invasive brain-controlled wheelchairs. Posters will be selected depending on relevance to the workshop topic, quality, and novelty. | ||||
17 september 2007
Esther and Ernesto: ASA comes to Brussels
Next week, September 28-29, 2007, our next ASA-LAB user meeting will take place. We are looking forward very much to meet you in Brussels!
The workshop will be hosted by the Laboratory of Neurophysiology and Movement Biomechanics, Universite Libre de Bruxelles (Belgium), and is organized in collaboration with Prof. Guy Cheron of the Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
The number of participants is already quite high, but there is still room for some more users.
NO REGISTRATION COST FOR ANT USERS!
In view of the very international character of the meeting, and the related travel expenses for the numerous participants from far away, we have decided to waive the Workshop participation fee.
The meeting will focus on all aspects of the ASA-LAB EEG/ERP system and address all important technical aspects of research applying high-density event related potentials:
* Recording and online processing of ERP,
* Cognitive stimulation,
* Signal processing in time and frequency domain, and
* Source reconstruction and co-registration with MRI.
Moreover, we will take this opportunity to demonstrate our powerful ASA-LAB ERP system and latest release of ASA to you.
Also there will be time to discuss in smaller groups, focusing on particular issues related to your current research.
The official program and registration of the meeting can be found on our website.
(http://www.ant-neuro.com/events/brussels2007)
In case of any questions please e-mail mvelde@ant-neuro.com
Ernesto Palmero, PhD
Esther Alonso Prieto, BsC
Maarten van de Velde, PhD
Frank Zanow, PhD
Bruges Brain or Mind (formerly known as Schild of vriend)
What is mind? No matter. What is matter? Never mind!”
Well, dear reader never mind this Homer Simpson saying. Better go to Bruges as they will have a much more interesting things to say on this fascinating topic.
19 october 2007
Sounds like EEG
Build Your own EEG
This web site is focused on sound card EEG hardware and software experimentation to create a Brain-to-Computer Interface (BCI). Two types of EEG units have been built to date, a dual channel AM unit and a dual channel FM unit. The FM unit uses approximately 4.5 kHz of audio spectrum per channel while the AM unit uses approximately 2 kHz of spectrum (with some guard band allocation) per channel.
The first attempt in building a prototype sound card EEG unit was begun in July 2005 . The first unit consisted of a two channel AM modulated version with a built-in power supply. It is compatible with 12-volt power cubes. There were several breadboards built before the final two boards (input amplifier and modulator) versions were completed. The AM version was successful with achieving about 65 dB of dynamic range performance. An existing oscilloscope software application was modified to accept the modulated signal from the prototype.
The second prototype was a single channel AM unit that reduced the modulation circuitry and the size of the unit was reduced to 2" by 4". The unit also included onboard regulators and was operated from a 9-volt battery. The unit design also switched from an analog local oscillator (LO) to a digital version (square wave oscillator). This reduced both the size and power consumption of the unit.
The third breadboard and then prototyped was a dual channel FM unit and due to reduced circuitry of implementing the FM modulation was built into the 2" by 4" enclosure with a 9-volt battery included. The total current drain is approximately 6.5 ma. The unit uses two CMOS digital local oscillators. The dual channel AM and FM units now achieve about 80 dB of dynamic range performance. Power drain is less than 6 ma.
New software application were developed specifically for EEG display and instrumentation. The software is able to receive data from both AM and FM units. The software incorporates individual channel gain and offset controls with a real time strip chart and vertical FFT displays. A built in variable bandwidth filter can be adjusted by moving cursor lines about the spectrum displays. A second software application interfaces to the NeuroServer. A third software package, BioSphere, provides biofeedback in the form of MIDI or Wave sounds along with the spectrum and waterfall displays. The fourth application, Keyboard2, is used with the eye cursor output screen of the BioShpere program. A 1.2 GHz Pentium computer is recommended for running the software applications. The main application screens are shown below:
16 september 2007
Booklet Cognitrace
An general introduction to measuring Event related Potentials using ANT's Cognitrace.
Biological Clock Gene
TIK TAK Clock
Of Mice and Men... and --without offending Steinbeck-- Japanese researchers have added fruit flies to the list of genetic look alikes.
Men should not be offended but gratefull to the fruit flies as they have helped us advance at a quicker step in genetic research of neurodegenerative disorders (Alzheimer among othres).
A RIKEN-led team of researchers from Japan and the US has used an innovative combination of genome survey techniques in live Drosophila fruit flies to reveal a previously unknown master gene involved in setting circadian rhythms. It is the tenth of a series of genes which generate proteins that interact in complex interlocking feedback loops to measure day length.
This network of genes, which has been highly conserved during evolution, ensures that the rhythms of organisms—sleep and wakefulness, changes in body temperature, the secretion of hormones—are attuned to daily and seasonal cycles. In humans, such common problems as jet lag and lack of alertness of shift workers arise when the body’s circadian rhythms are not properly adjusted to the external environment. But permanent disruption of the body’s clock can lead to much more serious disorders, such as delayed sleep phase syndrome. It has also been implicated in mental illness. The work could well have relevance to treating these conditions.
In a recent issue of the journal Genes & Development1, the research group—from RIKEN’s Center for Developmental Biology in Kobe, Kyushu University, Japan’s National Institute of Genetics and two universities in Texas—detailed how they found the new gene, clockwork orange (cwo).
With micro-array technology that shows which genes are switched on, the researchers initially followed the daily activity pattern of all genes in the genome of the head region of the fruit fly. Then, using RNA interference techniques, they blocked the activity of each of the nearly 130 genes which showed regular daily cycles of activity, and looked for dramatic disturbances of overall rhythmic behavior. This happened in only the few cases where they disrupted the core circadian genes which set the body’s clock. Of these, cwo was the gene that had the most pronounced impact.
Using a combination of micro-array technology and antibodies, the group then set out to discover the proteins and genes with which cwo interacts. The genes they found were all known to play a key role in the network which regulates the body’s internal clock.
“The work is still far from complete,” says Hiroki Ueda, the research team leader. “But I feel the discovery of cwo, which has a counterpart in the human genome, represents an important step in deciphering biological clocks. We next want to apply our techniques to the mouse, which is very near to humans compared with the fruit fly.”
11 september 2007
A litlle billiart anyone ?
Did the gods play billiard 160 million years ago ?
Some years ago (ages ago ?) when we were working on Kohonen neural networks, one of the Engineers at the Ghent University, Faculty of AutoControl (Prof Boullart) made a robot that could make a point in a billiart game. It was presented at a local technology trade fair "Flanders Technology". Before him the gods must have had the same idea but they almost made the last point of the match. Almost....
Although this has not mutch to do with neurophysiology this interesting "C.S.I" type article in Nature sept 2007, pinpoints the reason that almost (just almost) this blog would never have come to existence. The autors in this Nature article have discovered the culprit that wiped out the dinosaurs 65 million years ago and nearly ended all life on earth. This was a very close one. He sure looks fierce to me !!
PS let's hope the gods did not turn to soccer !!
NATURE|Vol 449|6 September 2007 NEWS &
09 september 2007
BCI Mosquito
Flies like a butterfly and stings like a Mosquito.
Boy, I love them green sexy eyes... See it flying around the office
EMG but not as You know it
EMG: stand for Electromyography ?. Right ?
WRONG ! Stands for Electro Magnetic Gun
Image that an EMG buddy of mine build one just like that in his backgarden (and this is NOT a joke !). If You ever would be interested in the turbulent history of these "goodies" just "Page" here.
The rest of the story...
Square root of -1
Math brains
A nice story by Robert Lucky...
I remember well the day in high school algebra class when I was first introduced to imaginary numbers. The teacher said that because the square root of a negative number didn’t actually exist, it was called imaginary. That bothered me a lot. I asked, If it didn’t exist, why give it a name and study it? Unfortunately, the teacher had no answers for these questions.
As with much of the math that we’ve all studied, understanding comes only much later. We’ve all had the experience of learning mathematical principles before we had any idea what they were good for. If I could go back to that day in high school, how would I have explained matters?
I can think of two approaches, although somehow I doubt that my younger self would have been happy with either. The first is to say that mathematics is beautiful in itself, a study of consistent rules of logic that can be appreciated as an art form, quite apart from any application it may have to everyday problems. The second is to note that this square root of minus one is actually useful (in problems that my younger self didn’t know about yet). It opens the door to two-dimensional thinking—a dimension that gets you off the line of real numbers. So whether or not this imaginary number exists in your world of arithmetic training, it’s useful. In real world problems, it works.
I’m reminded of a famous saying in physics, variously attributed to Paul Dirac and Richard Feynman: “Shut up and calculate.” It was a response to a class of problems in quantum mechanics in which the Shrödinger wave equation often contradicts common perception, yet it always provides the right answers. So don’t worry about it: quit complaining and just calculate. Like using the square root of minus one, it works.
The whole story here
Brain Wires
Today, surgical procedures for implanting electronic devices that stimulate the heart muscle to correct abnormal cardiac rhythms are considered routine. But addressing the brain in this way—and reaching areas deep within the cerebral mass without destroying neurons en route—is another matter.
While surgeons have successfully installed electrodes in the brain that have restored a semblance of sight or hearing, stopped the tremors of Parkinson's disease, and cataloged the brain's responses to environmental stimuli, they've always had to break in through the skull. That procedure damages healthy brain tissue, exposes patients to infection, and leaves wires sticking out of their heads. And over time, scar tissue forms around the electrodes, encapsulating them and isolating them from the active brain tissue.
Now a promising new procedure has been proposed [see photo]. In a paper that appeared in the 5 July issue of The Journal of Nanoparticle Research, researchers from the New York University Medical Center, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and the University of Tokyo demonstrate how advances in nanotechnology could lead to a better way of getting into the brain. The team, led by Rodolfo Llinas, head of the department of physiology and neuroscience at the NYU Medical Center, in New York City, has devised a method for attaching electrodes to small clusters of brain cells—or even individual neurons—using the cardiovascular system as the conduit through which wires are threaded.
Picking Your Brain
Minority report:
Nancy, an airline pilot, arrived promptly for a routine physical. She'd had exams before, but this time was different. She was asked to lie down and place her head in a large metallic torus, while a video screen flashed a series of images before her eyes—the inside of a 747 cockpit, a view of a target seen through a rifle's scope, a chemical formula for polyester, a photo of Bill Clinton. In an adjacent room, a technician watched as colorful images of Nancy's brain appeared on his computer screen, lighting up like brushfires with different hues in response to the pictures. As the test ended, the technician forwarded the results to Nancy's employer.
Reporting for work the next day, Nancy was confronted by her supervisor and an official from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration. They informed her that the brain images showed Nancy might develop schizophrenia, and had a surprising familiarity with assault rifles as well. The agency revoked her pilot's license. The airline promptly fired her.
VNS
VNS: vagal Nerve Stimulation
Imagine a crushing sadness so severe it keeps you from eating, sleeping, or socializing. Though you can't sleep, you lack the energy and the will to get out of bed. Everyday decisions, like which clothes to wear, leave you paralyzed. You've no desire to do the things you once thought were fun; in fact, you can't bring yourself to do much of anything. Now, add to all that the realization that you've tried everything known to medicine, it hasn't worked, and there's a good chance you won't feel any different. Ever.
"I had nothing to lose," says Karmen McGuffee, who suffered from severe depression for a decade and was hospitalized five times for it. So she had surgeons cut open her neck, gently wrap an electrode around one of the nerves there, and plug the electrode into a pulse generator, which they slipped under the skin of her chest. About every 5 minutes, the pocket-watch-size device sends a buzz of current through the nerve and into her brain.
Six months after doctors switched on the pulse generator, called a vagus nerve stimulator, McGuffee's world looked totally different. "I had no idea that life didn't have to have a dark veil over it all the time," she says. Once unable to concentrate enough to read a newspaper, McGuffee is now an executive secretary. More.....
Pastor Ba ? Yes, it is all in Your mind
Bayesian Rationality: The probabilistic approach to human reasoning
Mike Oaksford and Nick ChaterP
Price: £75.00 (Hardback)ISBN-13: 978-0-19-852450-2Publication date: 22 February 2007340 pages, 24 figures, 234x156 mm
Two leading cognitive scientists present a radical re-examination of the psychology of reasoning, arguing against the Western conception of the mind as the 'seat of all reason'
Superbly argued, the book is written to appeal to both those within psychology and philosophy
Are people rational? This question was central to Greek thought; and has been at the heart of psychology and philosophy for millennia. This book provides a radical and controversial reappraisal of conventional wisdom in the psychology of reasoning, proposing that the Western conception of the mind as a logical system is flawed at the very outset. It argues that cognition should be understood in terms of probability theory, the calculus of uncertain reasoning, rather than in terms of logic, the calculus of certain reasoning.
07 september 2007
Brain Music
Music can be good for the brain. If You feel like singing along , start to explore this site: kudo's !! Worth to keep in favorites.
Brain sources
Neuroscience: a close encounter for Neurology and Psychiatry meeting at the same source of knowledge.
Time is Bullisch
Right on time, Yo. You can click the bull or Yo (I mean Jo) can use it for something completely different... (now that sounds mysterious even to me).
Prof Bullspeaker, I presume (where did we meet before ???)
Bulls a galore !
BCNBP
Home of the Belgian College for Biological Neuropsychiatry
Course psychophysiology has started
02 september 2007
BRAIN MAPS
Finding Your way around the brain can be difficult at times. This tool goes quite a way in assisting you brain voyages.
VR testing
Meet the new neuropsychologist
Virtual Reality Cognitive Performance Assessment Test (VRCPAT)
The vision of the VRCPAT is to use VR simulation technology to create a battery of tests that assess the specific cognitive components that underlie all facets of successful military performance. Such cognitive components include attention, memory, executive functioning, spatial ability and a host of higher-level language and reasoning abilities. If successful in this pursuit, such flexibility would support the use of this system as an open platform on which a wide range of research questions could be addressed that would have significance to the Army. These include the manipulation of: the relevance, complexity, similarity, vagueness, sensory properties, and temporal constraints of information load imposed during initial information acquisition phases; distracting stimulus events that occur during the various attention and memory acquisition phases; the time constraints during the the attention and memory retrieval phases; the reward structure during performance trials; the presentation of aversive stimuli during test trials for stressed performance evaluations; and the presentation of complex multiple attention/action competition tasks during test trials to begin to address executive function processes.
Once the psychometric properties of these norm-based tests are established, the Army would have a comprehensive, flexible and scalable VR assessment system that could be extended to investigate a substantial set of pragmatic military performance assessment questions. For example, the cognitive components that govern decision making under varying stimulus conditions of cognitive load, fatigue, altitude, and stress induction could be evaluated with this system. As well, the VRCPAT would provide a set of cognitive benchmarking tasks that could be used as standard measurements for other military human performance research.
The rationale for VR applications in the area of cognitive performance assessment is fairly straightforward. By analogy, much like an aircraft simulator serves to test (and train) piloting ability under a variety of systematic and controlled conditions, virtual environments (VEs) can be developed to present simulations that assess integrated human cognitive and functional performance within the context of simulated situations that are specifically relevant to military criterion performance goals. Such VR applications have the potential to improve our capacity to understand and measure the cognitive performance of military personnel in a manner that informs selection, placement and training decisions, and could drive future training application development.
One effort in this direction is the use of VR to create cost-effective simulations of relevant military challenges that can be used to train a variety of skills and processes.
The goal of the current project is three fold: 1) to further evolve the development of a VR cognitive performance assessment test (VRCPAT) to measure prospective memory with the Prospective Memory Module (PMM) that used recycled graphic assets created for the FSW training tool and other available ICT assets. 2) In similar fashion to the approach taken in the creation of the PPM, we intend to use the city scenario built in GFY 06 for this purpose, to create a comprehensive assessment of context-relevant components of attention (i.e., selective, sustained, alternating and divided). The Comprehensive Attention Module (CAM). 3) Based on results from these tests, being to explore the feasibility and design of a test of executive functioning. The longer-term goal of this project would be to develop a comprehensive, standardized, norm-based battery of VR cognitive performance tests that have contextual relevance for military challenges. The primary aim of this effort is to provide better prediction and scientific analysis of the cognitive processes that underlie real-world military-relevant performance compared to what is available with traditional psychometric tests.
Another of the many advantages that VR offers cognitive application development is in the ability to create virtual simulations that could replace the process of building costly physical mock-ups of functional environments, often relied on for mission critical human performance testing and training.
The primary strength that VR offers testing and training is in the creation of simulated functional environments, within which, performance can be evaluated in a systematic fashion.
One of the early aims of the VRCPAT project was to create a city VE from the already existing ICT Full Spectrum Warrior library of graphic assets and from other specifically tailored assets as the basis for producing the PMM.
Alzheimer in VR
You thought Morris Wateremaze Test was for rats ? Think again !!
We are using the PC based 3D VR visuospatial (VS) test along with a Virtual Morris Water Maze application as potential cognitive assessment tools for Mild Cognitive Impairment and Mild Dementia of the Alzheimer's Type (DAT). The VR spatial rotation test delivers 3D stimuli that can be viewed on a PC monitor using a monoscopic view or stereoscopic shutter glasses to provide a 3D view. The test can be presented in passive format or the virtual objects can be manipulated using a tracking / input device. The potential advantage of these tests compared to 2D paper and pencil tests is the ability for the objects to be viewed and manipulated in 3D using a hand held input device that allows for more precise measurement of performance. A VR version of the Morris Water Maze, designed by researchers at the Olin Neuropsychiatry Research Center, can be viewed on a PC screen. The user can navigate through a virtual water pool to find a hidden platform using a joystick. Precise measurements of time and distance traveled can be recorded to assess wayfinding ability. We have received funding from the Alzheimer's Association (ETAC) and the American Association of University Women. The aim of the current research is to determine if the VR 3D VS tests and VR Morris Water task are more sensitive to cognitive indicators of the early stages of DAT compared to traditional 2D pen and paper tests and to determine the predictive validity of these tests for two real world wayfinding tasks. Research participants will include healthy aged adults and adults with mild DAT.
VR Psy
The new Freud is here... (where ?)
The Laboratory for Virtual Reality, Psychology, Rehabilitation, and Social Neuroscience at the University of Southern California's Institute for Creative Technologies is engaged in a broad program of research on the brain mechanisms that underlie neurocognitive functioning and emotion regulation in persons throughout the life course.
We make use of Virtual and Augmented Reality to study associations between the essential neural correlates of cognitive functioning and emotion regulation to assess the mechanisms of brain-behavior relations. Included among the disorders we have recently studied are mood and anxiety disorders, stroke, mild traumatic brain injury, ADHD, autism, Alzheimer's, and pain distraction.
We believe that the use of Virtual and Augmented Reality are essential components in the evolution of medical and psychological sciences in the digital age. As with any technology applied in these areas, both challenges and opportunities will emerge in how Virtual and Augmented Reality are usefully applied and validated. The development of archetypical virtual environments (i.e., offices, homes, social environments, etc.) will likely continue as Virtual and Augmented Reality are applied to a wider range of clinical and scientific research questions in the future.
The idea of a "Presense"
For those interested in Brain and Virtual Reality read the fascinationg research at the Peach summerschool. Who said school is boring ??
Complete proceedings here.
ESANN
The 16 th European Symposium on Artificial Neural Networks is a major event for neural network researchers all over the world. Il will be held in Bruges, one of the most beautiful medieval towns in Europe. Contributions are welcome (see topics and call for papers for details).
| Deadlines |
| |
| Submission of papers | 23 November 2007 |
| Notification of acceptance | 18 January 2007 |
| ESANN conference | 23 - 25 April 2008 |
| Proceedings and journal special issue |
| |
The proceedings will include all communications presented to the conference (tutorials, oral and posters), and will be available on-site.
Extended versions of selected papers will be published in the Neurocomputing journal (Elsevier).
| Location |
| |
The ESANN'2008 conference will be held in Bruges (also called the "Venice of the North"), one of the most beautiful medieval towns in Europe. Bruges can be reached by train from Brussels in less than one hour. The town of Bruges is worldwide known, and famous for its architectural style, its canals, and its pleasant atmosphere.
01 september 2007
Laughing Robots
Robots with humor. Papa joe hello papa joe, papa joe (the song is familiar, the singer is new and shining...).
PS The Robot is on the right...
Our goal is not simply to develop a robot comedian; rather, we aim to develop a robot that can interact with humans on a daily basis, and humor is one element that will enhance that communication and make it more enjoyable. PaPe-jiro's behaviors, such as pronouncing tongue-twisters at breakneck speed, suddenly issuing warnings at odd times, reading one's girlfriend's email aloud in guy's voice even though he has promised to read it in her voice, or giving car navigation commands "should have turned right at the light", use comedy to enhance the abilities or features of latest robots as well as the stereotyped images of typical robots.
The fashion-forward dress first displayed at a fashion show or the cutting-edge car making its debut at an auto show may not be suitable or practical for actual use. However, once this initial, symbolic design is produced and displayed, the next step in the process is to adapt the design for mainstream use. In the same way, the first step in developing PaPe-jiro is to create a robot with a sense of humor, and the next step is to enable PaPe-jiro to converse naturally with humans in daily life.
This is the focus of our continuing research on PaPe-jiro, as we strive towards developing "robot-human communication" with a humorous bent.
Hello papa Jo
Who told You robots were dull: ?
Enter the Pape-Jiro : The Robot Comedian
pape-Jo (sing song: pape jo, pape Jo hello papa joe..
Resistance is futile: you will laugh now..( or I will tell RND
We are now in the process of developing PaPe-jiro as part of our research in human-robot communication. For a robot companion in the home, the mere ability to assist the family with various chores is not enough; it also needs to be able to converse with family members in a pleasant way, so that they develop a fondness for it. We feel that this is one of the most important aspects of our current robot research and development. In collaboration with well-known Japanese comedian Zenjiro, we tackled this challenge by focusing on developing the robot's sense of humor.In this experiment, PaPe-jiro joined Zenjiro onstage as the "straight man" to his comedy routine. This allowed us to explore the possibility of the robot's ability to laugh and joke, as well as search for an appropriate brand of robot-specific humor.
BCI: BRAINPLAY
Ladies and gentlemen: This is Your captain speaking. YOU are flying at an altitude of 6000 feet. I - on the contrary- am sitting 3000 miles away from you in a confortable chair at the beach in Miami steering this plane remote by WiFi through my home made BCI. I just started testing a new ampli and there may be some turbulence felt because of some small technical problems. I am getting quite some disturbing 60 Hz line noise interference at Cz, sand and dust in the RC circuits and .......oops the ground electrode just popped of my electrocap....better strap on those chutes NOW !!!
Bipolar Mouse
MOUSE: Up Bunjee Down
Tadafumi Kato
Head of the Laboratory for Molecular Dynamics of Mental DisordersAging and Psychiatric Research GroupRIKEN Brain Science Institute
Bipolar disorder (manic depression) is a brain disease in which the patient periodically experiences elevated and depressive mood states. It affects about one out of every 100 people. Patients with bipolar disorder often suffer multiple relapses. Some spend almost half of their lives in the depressive state, and a large number commit suicide. Conventional preventive drugs for the disorder, such as lithium, produce strong side effects, and are not completely effective. The mechanism causing bipolar disorder is not yet understood. Tadafumi Kato, Head of the Laboratory for Molecular Dynamics and Mental Disorders at the RIKEN Brain Science Institute, has been progressing research into bipolar disorder, and proposes that it is related to dysfunction in the mitochondria—the energy production centers of cells. In spring this year, Kato's group successfully clarified that a mouse manipulated to develop mitochondrial dysfunction, in the brain only, exhibited abnormal behavior that was very similar to bipolar disorder. As an animal model for bipolar disorder, this mouse is expected to contribute significantly to the analysis of the mechanism triggering bipolar disorder and the development of therapeutic agents.
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