Cognitive Neuroscience

Full course description

Cognitive neuroscience is an entirely new research field that originally emerged from a combination of traditional sciences such as philosophy, psychology, medicine and biology that all investigate the principles of perception, behaviour and cognition from different perspectives.

As technical developments of different methods and tools in the field of cognitive neuroscience came forth, and as theoretical application of different mathematical and computer science-based models were used to explain neuronal functioning, additional disciplines, such as physics, mathematics, bioengineering and computer science materialized as an important part of this research field.

Subsequently, an effective research project in cognitive neuroscience requires an interdisciplinary cooperation, in which each scientific discipline contributes its respective genuine theories, models, techniques and tools for the mutual investigation of the neuronal principles of perception, attention, and cognition.

But can we really watch the brain at work? Are there ways to identify where exactly, and when exactly activation in the brain is necessary to perform a specific mental process? This course will help to give some answers on the basic principles of brain research and it will show relevant applications of these techniques in different areas of cognitive psychology.