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Ryszard Auksztulewicz Recurrent Neural Processing in Somatosensory Awareness The characteristics of neural processing underlying conscious stimulus detection, despite extensive research, remain elusive. As a prominent theoretical account of visual awareness, the recurrent processing hypothesis states that while stimuli generally evoke feedforward activity propagating through the visual cortex, stimuli which become consciously detected are further processed in feedforward-feedback loops established between various stages of visual processing. Although this hypothesis has not been tested directly in modalities other than vision, monkey studies have provided indirect evidence for feedback processing in somatosensory detection. Here we applied dynamic causal modelling (DCM) to EEG data acquired from humans in a somatosensory detection task to test this theory. In the analysis, we focused on model-based evidence for feedforward, feedback and recurrent processing between primary and secondary somatosensory cortices. Our results suggest that increased recurrent processing within the somatosensory system, dominated by an enhanced cSIcSII connection, underlies somatosensory awareness. Saskia Köhler The Role of the Brain in Impulsivity and Self-Control Impulsivity is a personality trait that is present in healthy individuals. However, high impulsivity may also cause problems in social life, such as troubles in partnership, fights, and traffic violations. This is because impulsive actions are often rapid, unplanned, hasty and without regard to negative consequences. The opposite of impulsivity can be described as self-control, given that people showing high impulsivity have problems controlling their actions, thoughts and emotions. Since an association between impulsivity and mental illness is apparent, neuroscientific research in this field is important. In my PhD project, I investigate the role of the brain in impulsivity and self-control with different approaches: (1) administering different functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) paradigms, which provoke impulsive or self-controlled behavior, (2) examining fMRI resting state measurements, (3) examining MRI structural measurements, and (4) determining the influence of virtual lesions with transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). I examine psychiatric patients, which are characterized by high impulsivity and low self-control competencies (alcohol dependent patients and pathological gamblers), and healthy subjects. I will present results from at least one of these approaches. 16
Sebastian Philipp On the Influence of the Brain on the Brain: Be “Aware”! Altered statistics in external sensory stimuli lead to a change in the neural representation of the respective sensory entity. This is the well investigated phenomenon that the external world shapes representations in the brain. However, besides some recent studies it is not yet investigated how internal, mental conditions – such as attention, imagery or meditation – effect neural sensory representations – which is the question of whether and how the brain itself shapes representations in the brain. The effects of altered external stimulation of the body on somatosensory representations are well investigated by psychophysically measuring the tactile acuity of human subjects. Recent studies report effects of long-term Tai Chi practice on tactile acuity [2]. Tai Chi is a sensory attentional training where practitioners focus attention on the body's extremities. Study results showed that Tai Chi practitioners' tactile acuity in the finger tips is superior to that of the matched controls. However, it is questionable if these effects are only due to the subjects' having focused their attention on their extremities during the long-term practice over several years or if it is also due to the bodily aspects of the long-term Tai Chi practice. In our study, we investigate the effect of a short meditative training – a purely mental training – on tactile acuity in the finger tips. Tactile acuity of subjects with ample experience in Zazen is measured psychophysically before the training period. During the training period of two hours, subjects are asked to be completely aware of the arising sensory percepts in their fingertips while preventing external stimulation by not moving their hands. After training, subjects' tactile acuity is measured again. We compare tactile acuity before and after the meditative intervention. In my presentation I will give an introduction to the topics of meditation and alterations of sensory representations by external stimulation. Furthermore, I will show preliminary results from our current study on the effects of meditation on tactile acuity and I will mention possible philosophical aspects of this study in order to yield an open discussion with the audience. 17
Page 1: ISSUES IN PHILOSOPHY AND NEUROSCIEN
Page 4 and 5: PANEL 1: CONSCIOUSNESS I Program Mo
Page 6 and 7: Wedesday, April 19 th PANEL 6: WILL
Page 8 and 9: Armin Bahl Smarter than One Might T
Page 10 and 11: Bianca van Kemenade Multisensory In
Page 12 and 13: David Kaufmann Neuroscientific Rese
Page 14 and 15: Georgina Torbet Cognitive Neuroscie
Page 18 and 19: Smadar Ovadia-Caro Reduction of Int
Page 20 and 21: Berlin Faculty List of participants

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