Keywords
Visual, auditory, haptic perception, pain, cognitive
functions, multisensorial, neuroimaging
Expertise
How healthy humans process incoming sensory
information is important for many clinical and
technological applications. A thorough understanding
of sensory and cognitive brain mechanisms in the healthy
population can help to improve the diagnosis of sensory
processing deficiencies and problems.
Our research is focused on human information
processing: how sensory inputs are processed in the
brain and how different senses are combined and lead to
a response. Research problems range from mechanisms
of colour vision, aesthetic visual perception, audio-visual
and haptic-visual interactions, and sensory and affective
mechanisms of pain.
We have particular expertise in the field of pain percep-
tion, with clinical and experimental research teams. We
use functional MRI and electroencephalography (EEG)
to image how the brain responds to pain in patients and
healthy people. We are also investigating the application
of transcranial magnetic stimulation for pain relief.
Working with Unilever, we also study the influence
of competing ‘drives’ (eg hunger and pain) on brain
activations, and on the role of smells and subconscious
processes on the way our brain can reduce our
perception pain intensity.
Our understanding of the senses is providing important
insights into the technological development of virtual
reality systems and simulators.
Capabilities and facilities
•
Functional brain imaging (fMRI)
•
High-resolution electroencephalography (EEG)
•
Psychophysical techniques
•
Eye tracking
•
Design and execution of ethical pain experiments
and surveys in patients and health volunteers
•
Integration of different senses (especially touch
and vision) into virtual reality systems.
Applications of our research into perception and
cognition include:
•
Improving the usability and comfort of emerging
display technologies
•
Virtual Reality Systems: understanding the
integration of haptic, auditory and visual signals is
vital to set up convincing VR environments
•
Design of optimal transcranial magnetic stimulation
protocols and parameters in the domain of pain
•
Non-pharmacological therapies of chronic pain,
especially in patients who are refractory to
pharmacological treatment
•
Foods and cosmetic products that increase
customers’ wellbeing.
Relevant centres and groups
•
Magnetic Resonance and Image Analysis
Research Centre
•
Pain Research Institute
•
Virtual Engineering Centre
•
Northwest Perception Action Network.
Health & Wellbeing
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Human sensory processing
