Applied Neurotechnology Lab

The Applied Neurotechnology Lab was established as an interface between the University of Tübingen's Institute for Medical Psychology and Behavioural Neurobiology, the Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, and the MEG-Centre. 

Our research focus is on the development and clinical application of brain-machine interface (BMI) systems and their combination with non-invasive brain stimulation techniques.  

Currently, the University of Tübingen investigates the use of BMI training in CNS disorders such as stroke, depression, schizophrenia, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and chronic pain.

During the BMI training, the user receives continuous feedback about his actual brain activity in real-time and successively learns to increase brain activity associated with normal function. 

In this large endeavour, the Applied Neurotechnology Lab uses various sophisticated methods such as magneto- and electroencephalopgraphy (MEG/EEG), near-infrared-spectroscopy (NIRS), functional and structural brain imaging, neuronavigated brain stimulation (e.g. transcranial magnetic and electric stimulation, TMS/TES) and advanced mathematical approaches to study the brain's capacity for neuroplasticity and the mechanisms underlying normal brain function and brain recovery. 

The advantage of this kind of therapy is that it targets the very origin of many neurological and mental disorders: the neurochemical and electric alterations of brain physiology in specific brain regions or functional networks.

The Applied Neurotechnology Lab is funded by the Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (BMBF), the Deutschen Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG), and the European Union (EU).

Surjo R. Soekadar, Dr. med.
Head of research group
Tel. +49 7071 29-82640
Fax +49 7071 29-82625

Mareike Vermehren
Project assistant
Tel. +49 7071 29-82624
Fax +49 7071 29-82625

Matthias Witkowski, M.Sc.
PhD student
Tel. +49 7071 29-82623

Marius Nann, M.Sc
PhD student
Tel. +49 7071 29-82623

Jürgen Mellinger
Research associate
Tel. +49 7071 29-87750

Bankim Chander, M.S.
PhD student
Tel. +49 7071 29-82623

Margherita Carboni, B.Psy.Sc.
Università degli Studi di Pavia (03-12 2016)
Tel. +49 7071 29-82623

Shuka Shibusawa, B.Eng.
Guest Student (8/2016-1/2017)
Graduate School of Science and Technology, Keio University, Japan

Birgit Teufel 
Project assistance

Anne Ziel, M.Sc.
Research assistant (03-07 2016)
Tel. 07071/29-82623

Marcos Fortunato de Barros Filho, cand.med.
PhD student

Chiara Fioravanti, PhD
Research Assistant (01-09 2016)

Lisa Riegger, M.Sc.
Research assistant (09-12 2015)

Riya Paul, M.Eng.
Research assistant (03-10 2015)
BOSCH, Stuttgart

Verena Koppe, cand B.Sc.
Research assistant (04-09 2015)

 Johanna Willburger, Dr. med.

Eliana García Cossio, M.Sc.
PhD student
Tel. 07071/29-8 26 23

 

 

 

Eliana García Cossio, Dr.
Dept. Cognitive Artificial Intelligence, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Nijmegen, Netherlands

Manuel Agostini, Dr.
Schulpsychologische Beratungsstelle im Staatlichen Schulamt Albstadt

Fabrício Lima Brasil, Dr.
Instituto Internacional de Neurociências de Natal Edmond e Lily Safra
(IINN-ELS), Brasilien

Benedict Mössinger, B.Sc.
Master student of Neuroscience, Uni Bremen

Paul Rodermund, B.Sc.
Graduate School of Neural and Behavioral Sciences (02-04 2014):
Lab Rotation I
Project: Effects of frequency-tuned tACS on working memory performance

Marco Rüth, B.Sc.
Graduate School of Neural and Behavioral Sciences (09-11 2014):
Lab Rotation II

1. Soekadar SR, Witkowski M, Gómez C, Opisso E, Medina J, Cortese M, Cempini M, Carozza MC, Cohen LG, Birbaumer N, Vitiello N. Hybrid EEG/EOG-based brain/neural hand exoskeleton restores fully independent daily living activities after quadriplegia. Science Robotics 1, eaag3296 (2016).

2. Witkowski M, Garcia-Cossio E, Chander BS, Braun C, Birbaumer N, Robinson SE, Soekadar SR. Mapping entrained brain oscillations during transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS). Neuroimage 2016;140:89-98; doi: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2015.10.024.

3. Deecke L, Soekadar SR. Beyond the point of no return: Last-minute changes in human motor performance. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 2016; doi: 10.1073/pnas.1604257113.

4. Garcia-Cossio E, Witkowski M, Robinson SE, Cohen LG, Birbaumer N, Soekadar SR. Simultaneous transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and whole-head magnetoencephalography (MEG): assessing the impact of tDCS on slow cortical magnetic fields. Neuroimage 2016;140:33-40; doi: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2015.09.068.

5. Liew S-L, Rana M, Cornelsen S, Fortunato de Barros Filho M, Birbaumer N, Sitaram R, Cohen LG, Soekadar SR. Improving Motor Corticothalamic Communication After Stroke Using Real-Time fMRI Connectivity-Based Neurofeedback. Neurorehabil Neural Repair 2016;30:671-675; doi: 10.1177/1545968315619699.

6. Soekadar, S.R., Birbaumer, N., Slutzky, M.W., Cohen, L.G. Brain-Machine Interfaces In Neurorehabilitation of Stroke. Neurobiol Dis. 2015;83:172-179; doi:10.1016/j.nbd.2014.11.025.

7. Soekadar, S.R., Witkowski, M., Birbaumer, N., Cohen, L.G. Enhancing hebbian learning to control oscillatory activity. Cereb Cortex 2014; doi:10.1093/cercor/bhu043.

8. Soekadar SR, Witkowski M, García Cossio E, Birbaumer N, Robinson SE, Cohen LG. In vivo assessment of human brain oscillations during application of transcranial electric currents. Nature Communications 2013;4.

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