Concurrent TMS/fMRI

We’ve developed and validated a concurrent TMS/fMRI setup to manipulate and measure brain activity at the same time. This online approach of combining Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) with functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) allows for assessing TMS-induced brain activity on an individual level. A dedicated MR coil array allows for high-sensitivity fMRI, particularly at the […] Read more...


Combining TMS & fMRI

Approaches Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) have both immense potential in the field of neuroscience: Structural and functional MRI allow for mapping cognitive functions to spatial and temporal features of brain activation. TMS holds the potential to infer on causal relationships between brain areas and cognitive functions. TMS and fMRI can support […] Read more...


Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)

Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) is a neuroimaging technique that allows for non-invasive investigation of brain function. Functional MRI uses MR imaging to measure the tiny metabolic changes that take place in more active parts of the brain: Using radiofrequency pulses and a strong magnetic field, images of the brain can be acquired. Functional MRI has […] Read more...


Combining TMS/fMRI

Concurrent TMS/fMRI We’ve developed and validated a concurrent TMS/fMRI setup to manipulate and measure brain activity at the same time. This online approach of combining Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) with functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) allows for assessing TMS-induced brain activity on an individual level. A dedicated MR coil array allows for high-sensitivity fMRI, particularly […] Read more...


Creativity research

What happens in your brain when you have an Aha -moment? While creativity is a construct that is hard to define and creative performance is even harder to measure, the common phenomenon “Aha Moment” is linked to many creative achievements. Signified as the process of linking old knowledge in an original way, it is thought […] Read more...


Retinotopic Mapping

One of the regions best examined by functional MRI (fMRI) is the occipital lobe, in particular the visual cortex, which is the main target for visual signals and the center of visual processing. Not all of the visual cortex is engaged with processing every visual signal. The regions of the primary visual cortex are responsible […] Read more...


Resting State fMRI

What is Resting state connectivity? In classical task-based fMRI the neuronal activity is studied while performing a well-defined task, e.g., making a decision, commonly with the goal of localizing the brain regions responsible for the task that was carried out. Resting state fMRI (rsfMRI), on the other hand, is concerned with the neuronal activity in the […] Read more...


Dynamic causal modeling

Dynamic causal modeling (DCM) is a hypothesis-­‐‑driven analysis approach based on Bayesian model comparison procedures (Bayes, 1763; Friston et al., 2003; Jeffkeys, 1939). DCM can be seen as an extension or generalization of fMRI analysis based on the general linear model. The application of DCM allows for creation of neural models to assess the dynamic […] Read more...


Manual Operation for 4th Generation Airliners – Man4Gen

What happens in a plane’s cockpit and pilot’s brain? In the EU project Man4Gen, we are cooperating with the National Aerospace Laboratory of the Netherlands, the German Aerospace Center, Airbus, Boeing, and the University of Vienna, amongst other partners. Main research topic of the Man4Gen project is to investigate safety issues in civil aviation and […] Read more...


Diffusion Tensor Imaging

Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) is a widely used imaging method used to approximate the anatomical structure and structural connectivity of the human brain. Diffusion in general describes the process of the displacement of particles due to concentration differences, i.e. the movement of water molecules through random motion from regions of higher concentration to regions of […] Read more...