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Labs

The Labs

General Psychophysiology Lab & Post-processing Centre (41.G52)

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 SCL, ECG, and respiration via a 64 channel SynAmps2 system, and has an integrated SR Research Eyelink 1000 high-speed infrared pupilometer system.

Some sample publications from this lab:

  • Barry RJ, De Blasio FM, Cave AE. (2016). Sequential Processing in Young and Older Adults in the Equiprobable Auditory Go/NoGo Task. Clinical Neurophysiology, 127, 2273-2285.
  • Barry RJ, De Blasio FM. (2015). Performance and ERP components in the equiprobable Go/NoGo task: Inhibition in children. Psychophysiology, 52, 1228-1237.
  • Borchard JP, Barry RJ, De Blasio FM. (2015). Sequential Processing in an Auditory Equiprobable Go/NoGo Task with Variable Interstimulus Interval. International J. Psychophysiology, 97, 145-152.
  • Karamacoska D, Barry RJ, Steiner GZ, De Blasio FM. (2015). Clarifying the sequential processes involved in a cued CPT. Psychophysiology, 52, 67-80.
  • MacDonald B, Barry RJ, Bonfield RC. (2015). Trials and intensity effects in single-trial ERP components and autonomic responses at very long ISIs. International J. Psychophysiology, 98, 394-412.
  • Steiner GZ, Barry RJ. (2014). The mechanism of dishabituation. Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience. doi: 10.3389/fnint.2014.00014

Psychophysiology ERP Lab (41.G41)

This lab focuses 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.

Some example publications from this lab:

  • Bowley, C. Faricy, C., Hegarty, B., Smith, J. L., Kelly, P, J., Rushby, J., Johnstone, S. J. (2013). The effects of inhibitory control training on alcohol consumption, implicit alcohol-related cognitions and brain electrical activity. International Journal of Psychophysiology, 89, 342-348.
  • Benikos, N., Johnstone, S. J., Roodenrys, S. (2013). Short-term training in the Go/Nogo Task: Behavioural and neural changes depend on task demands. International Journal of Psychophysiology, 87, 301-312.
  • Johnstone, S. J. & Galletta, D. (2013). Event-rate effects in the flanker task: ERPs and task performance in children with and without AD/HD. International Journal of Psychophysiology, 87, 340-348.
  • Johnstone, S. J., Roodenrys, S., Blackman, R., Johnston, E., Loveday, K., Mantz, S., Barratt, M. (2012). Neurocognitive training for children with and without AD/HD. ADHD Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorders, 4, 11-23.

Clinical Psychophysiology Lab (41.G45)

This lab focuses 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:

  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.

Psychophysiology R&D Lab (41.G52a)

This currently uses the digital signal processing capabilities of WIZARD, a fast multi-core UNIX system (allowing parallelised applications developed in-house) with top-end GPU (allowing optimised repetitive processing of specialised MATLAB functions) to investigate EEG-ERP dynamics. 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, De Blasio FM, Bernat EM, Steiner GZ. (2015). Event-related EEG time-frequency PCA and the Orienting Reflex to auditory stimuli. Psychophysiology, 52, 555-561.
  • Karamacoska D, Barry RJ, Steiner GZ, De Blasio FM. (2015). Clarifying the sequential processes involved in a cued CPT. Psychophysiology, 52, 67-80.
  • Barry RJ, De Blasio FM, De Pascalis V, Karamacoska D. (2014). Preferred EEG brain states at stimulus onset in a fixed interstimulus interval equiprobable auditory Go/NoGo task: A definitive study. International J Psychophysiology, 94, 42-58.
  • Barry RJ. (2013). Preferred pre-stimulus EEG states affect cognitive ERPs. Ch 3 in E Başar, C Başar-Eroğlu, A. Ozerdem, PM Rossini, GG Yener (Eds.) Application of brain oscillations in neuropsychiatric diseases. Supplements to Clinical Neurophysiology, Vol. 62, 55-65.
  • De Blasio FM, Barry RJ. (2013). Prestimulus delta and theta determinants of ERP responses in the Go/NoGo task. International J Psychophysiology, 87, 279-288.
  • De Blasio FM, Barry RJ. (2013). Prestimulus alpha and beta determinants of ERP responses in the Go/NoGo task. International J Psychophysiology, 89, 9-17.