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Cognition and Behaviour Research
The strength in front of the brain
investigate what happens in our brain, and behavior study human cognition and to ensure that the scientific knowledge generated will be useful to society and health professionals is the objective of the new Institute for Brain Research, Cognition and Behaviour (IR3C), University of Barcelona, \u200b\u200bthe new umbrella under that are grouped together psychiatrists, psychologists, neurologists, biologists, physicists, engineers and philosophers study normal and pathological behavior from a holistic perspective.
Joseph A. Rodríguez. Barcelona - Wednesday, March 23, 2011 - Updated at 00:00 pm
Four researchers from the UB IR3C, Joan López Moliner, Escera Carles, Maria Mataro and Juan Gomez.
generate knowledge to benefit society in general and healthcare in particular is the objective of the Research Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour (IR3C), University of Barcelona ( UB), born with the desire to know and understand better how determine brain processes cognitive functions (perception, memory, learning, reasoning and problem solving, language, communication and emotion) and possible behavior of human beings can adapt to the environment and transform it with his performance. "This has been divided into three lines of research: brain, cognition and behavior," said Carles Escera, Professor of Psychiatry and Clinical Psychobiology at the UB and director of the new institute. The research teams are multidisciplinary, and that the spirit of the new body is the study of human behavior from a holistic view. Apart from psychologists, neurologists and psychiatrists, "there are mostly engineers and physicists, especially involved in the development of quantitative models as perceptual or learning curves," said Escera.
Juana Gomez, a psychologist and head of the line of conduct, explained, meanwhile, that "one of our major projects is SCIP, a test of cognitive and attentional dysfunction in schizophrenia, which allows an assessment of cognitive impairment in fifteen minutes and it is being used in about forty hospitals throughout Spain. "
The aim of the course of action is the identification, assessment and intervention in behavioral problems. Therefore, another major projects related to hyperactivity and attention deficit. "We are validating U.S. instruments that measure these conditions to suit our environment," the expert pointed.
is clear that psychiatrists, neurologists and psychologists can benefit from the research institute of the UB, "but some are also valid for other specialists, the SCIP project, for example, used to measure the quality of life for all patients with physical or mental disorder. "
XXI Century Challenge
The study of the brain, the biological basis of normal and pathological behavior, is a major first Century. Maria Mataró, PhD in Psychology and Neuropsychology specialist, researcher at the Brain line, said that "we study the brain function with neuroimaging, cognitive testing and genetic testing." The institute works in close collaboration with hospitals and health centers. In this way, can provide useful scientific knowledge in the field of mental health. "We are studying how they affect vascular disease and cognition, what is the relationship between obesity and cognition and the relationship between biological rhythms and personality," according Mataró. Another area being investigated is the of children with learning difficulties, dyslexia or dyscalculia.
The third line of research focuses on the study of the psychological mechanisms underlying the adaptive behaviors, such as perception, language and memory. "Although we do basic research, some of our projects may be of interest to healthcare professionals," said Joan López-Moliner, Doctor of Science from the Polytechnic University of Catalonia and coordinator of Cognition. "For example, we investigate how the processing of sensory information can coordinate motor activity, which can be very useful in the rehabilitation of degenerative disorders." Another line of research highlights is that of Aging, focused on the study of preterm infants and neonatal care and in improving the quality of life in the elderly.
The vocation of the new Institute of UB is to establish synergies with other research centers and hospitals. As stated Escera, "forms of collaboration can range from research projects of common interest to the organization of scientific conferences and monographic co supervision of doctoral theses. In addition, our school has provided, in conjunction with the Park of St. John Health God in San Boi de Llobregat, including several on Relief mental health, a predoctoral fellowship to a graduate student to carry out his thesis co-directed by a researcher at the center and one of IR3C.
A virtual laboratory for experimenting
Virtual reality allows test treatments that would be very costly practice. The Research Institute of Brain, Cognition and Behaviour (IR3C), University of Barcelona (UB) has a specific laboratory is a room whose walls are projection screens and where patient wears a series of sensors that measure the direction of his gaze and movements. Thus, the individual may face, in a very controlled situations in their natural environment could be hazardous to your health. As explained Escera Carles, director of IR3C, "we are studying how the virtual reality therapy to fight fear of public speaking, agoraphobia or chronic pain, and investigate how it turns the process of believing the virtual environment" .
The strength in front of the brain - DiarioMedico.com
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