Maximal number of participants: 30

Abstract:

Non-invasive brain stimulation techniques such as transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), transcranial current stimulation (tDCS/tACS), and transcranial ultrasound stimulation (TUS) are important tools in cognitive neuroscience / biological psychology for investigating a variety of different brain functions. The ability to experimentally manipulate local neuronal activity before or during the performance of a certain cognitive task allows for the investigation of causal structure-function relationships that complement the correlative approach of neuroimaging and electrophysiology. This course will consist of virtual lectures, interactive discussions, and practical demonstrations to introduce the attendees to the theoretical knowledge about stimulation techniques, underlying physiological mechanisms, and experimental paradigms, but to also provide some direct insights into their practical application.

EXAMINATION: A seminar paper (max. 1000 words, English) has to be written after the course (in teams of two). The paper will be graded.

PREPARATORY READING: https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://tinyurl.com/y4ujyfn8__;!!Dc8iu7o!lz9dvcgqe6BQSOuaXSMctW6t_l-7dhNYSe9BAKXWizA0AJT_U4Z8ltfwcOgXyS1-paQ8S5ol$  (open access)

Bergmann, T.O., Hartwigsen, G., 2020. Inferring Causality from Noninvasive Brain Stimulation in Cognitive Neuroscience. J Cogn 

Neurosci, 1-12. https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://doi.org/10.1162/jocn_a_01591__;!!Dc8iu7o!lz9dvcgqe6BQSOuaXSMctW6t_l-7dhNYSe9BAKXWizA0AJT_U4Z8ltfwcOgXyS1-pWloQfye$ .