The Labs

The outer room of this complex is a post-processing centre where all electrophysiological data collected in the School can be processed.  Three networked computers have Scan Edit licenses for processing EEG and ERP data.  Data collected in other formats (e.g., AMLAB) is converted for processing in Neuroscan.  One computer runs the digital signal processing EEGLAB package under MATLAB.

The next room is a a control/preparation area servicing two recording booths. Each of the recording booths contains light-control, video monitoring/recording, and 2-way (subject-to-experimenter) intercom.  Experimental control uses Presentation software.

Data acquisition in booth 1 is carried out via a 32-channel digital signal processing hardware and software package from Associative Measurement (AMLAB) designed and built in Sydney, Australia, using AMLAB DAC2 amplifiers and AMLAB II hardware and software.  The flexible AMLAB data acquisition systems allow simultaneous recording of CNS and ANS measures.  Skin conductance, respiration, EKG, and systolic and diastolic BP (FINAPRES) are routinely recorded with 19 EEG and 4 EOG channels.

Booth 2 records EEG via a 64 channel SynAmps2 system, and will soon include a new high-speed infrared pupilometer.

Some sample publications from this lab:

• Barry RJ, Clarke AR, Johnstone SJ, Rushby JA. (2008). Timing of Caffeine’s Impact on Autonomic and Central Nervous System Measures: Clarification of arousal effects. Biological Psychology, 77, 304-316.
• Oddy BW, Barry RJ. (2009). The relationship of N2 and P3 to inhibitory processing of social drinkers in a Go/NoGo task. International Journal of Psychophysiology, 72, 323-330.
• VaezMousavi SM, Barry RJ, Clarke AR. (In press). Individual differences in task-related activation and performance. Physiology & Behavior.

This lab focusses on ERP investigations of inhibition (in both control and clinical children and adults) and is equipped with a 40-channel NuAmps recording system. Simultaneous skin conductance recording is also available.

Read newletters for research participants:

• 2006
• 2007
• 2008
• 2009

Some example publications from this lab:

1. Smith, J. L., Johnstone, S. J. & Barry, R. J. (2007). Response priming in the Go/Nogo task: The N2 reflects neither inhibition nor conflict. Clinical Neurophysiology, 118, 343-355.
2. Johnstone, S.J., Dimoska, A., Smith, J. L., Barry, R. J., Pleffer, C.B., Chiswick. D., Clarke, A. R. (2007). The development of stop-signal and go/nogo response inhibition in children aged 7-12 years: Performance and event-related potential indices. International Journal of Psychophysiology, 63, 25-38.
3. Johnstone, S. J., Pleffer, C. B., Barry, R. J. Clarke, A. R. & Smith, J. (2005). Development of inhibitory processing during the Go/Nogo task: A behavioural and event-related potential study of children and adults. Journal of Psychophysiology, 19, 11-23.
4. Dimoska, A., Johnstone, S. J., Barry, R. J. and Clarke, A. R. (2003). Inhibitory motor control in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: Event-related potential in the stop-signal paradigm. Biological Psychiatry, 54, 1340-1349.

This lab focusses on EEG/ERP investigations of clinical groups and is equipped with a 40-channel NuAmps recording system. Simultaneous skin conductance recording is also available. The lab also possesses sophisticated portable and ambulatory equipment to record psychophysiological measures (EEG, heart rate, and elecrodermal data) in ecological valid, real-life situations.

Some example publications from this lab:

1. Brown, C. R., Clarke, A. R., Barry, R. J., McCarthy, R., Selikowitz, M. Magee, M. (2005). Event-related potentials in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder of the predominantly inattentive type: An investigation of EEG-defined subtypes. International Journal of Psychophysiology, 58, 94 - 107.

2. Brown, C. R., Clarke, A. R., Barry, R. J. (2006). Inter-modal attention: ERPs to auditory targets in an inter-modal oddball task. International Journal of Psychophysiology, 62, 77-86.

3. Clarke, A., Barry, R., McCarthy, R., Selikowitz, M., Johnstone, S., Abbott, I., Magee, C., Hsu, C., Croft, R. & Lawrence, C. (2005). Effects of Methylphenidate on EEG Coherence in Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. International Journal of Psychophysiology, 58, 4-11.

4. Magee, C., Clarke, A., Barry, R., McCarthy, R., Selikowitz, M. (2005). Examining the diagnostic utility of EEG power measures in children with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. Clinical Neurophysiology, 116, 1033-1040.

This currently uses the digital signal processing capabilities (with flexible graphical user interface) of additional AMLAB II systems to investigate EEG-ERP dynamics, together with the EEGLAB package running under MATLAB.  The fine structure of EEG data recorded in any of the recording laboratories can be explored here.

Some sample publications from this lab:

• Barry RJ, Rushby JA, Smith JL, Clarke AR, Croft RJ. (In press). Brain dynamics in the auditory oddball task as a function of stimulus intensity and task requirements. International Journal of Psychophysiology.
• Barry RJ. (2009). Evoked activity and EEG phase-resetting in the genesis of auditory Go/NoGo ERPs.  Biological Psychology, 80, 292-299.
• Barry RJ, Rushby JA, Smith JL, Clarke AR, Croft, RJ, Wallace, MJ. (2007). Brain dynamics in the active vs. passive auditory oddball task: Exploration of narrow-band EEG phase effects. Clinical Neurophysiology, 118, 2234-2247.