Centre for Cognitive Science

Brain nuclei are traditionally defined by their anatomy, activity, and expression of specific markers. The hypothalamus contains discrete neuronal populations that coordinate fundamental behavioral functions, including sleep and wakefulness, in all ve…

The developed human brain shows remarkable plasticity following perceptual learning, resulting in improved visual sensitivity. However, such improvements commonly require extensive stimuli exposure. Here we show that efficiently enhancing visual perce…

Contrary to its well-established role in declarative learning, the impact of sleep on motor memory consolidation remains a subject of debate. Current literature suggests that while motor skill learning benefits from sleep, consolidation of sensorimoto…

Multiple mutations in the Rhodopsin gene cause sector retinitis pigmentosa in humans and a corresponding light-exacerbated retinal degeneration (RD) in animal models. Previously we have shown that T4K rhodopsin requires photoactivation to exert its to…

Cognitive flexibility represents the capacity to switch among different mental schemes, providing an adaptive advantage to a changing environment. The neural underpinnings of this executive function have been deeply studied in humans through fMRI, sho…

An interoceptive homeostatic reflex monitors levels of CO2/H+ to maintain blood gas homeostasis and rapidly regulate tissue acid–base balance by driving lung ventilation and CO2 excretion—this CO2-evoked increase in respiration is the hype…

The orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) is crucial for tracking various aspects of expected outcomes, thereby helping to guide choices and support learning. Our previous study showed that the effects of reward timing and size on the activity of single units in…