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Body-Brain physiological waves meet the waves of the Amalfi Coast

Visit the website: www.waves-conference.com

For decades now, both cognitive and translational neuroscience have corroborated the pivotal role of neural oscillations in perception, cognition, and motor behavior in health and pathology. However, these research lines have almost exclusively showcased the tight link between brain activity and behavior, while neglecting the essential and modulatory influence of the body and its peripheral physiological activity.

During this conference, we will present and discuss recent exciting evidence showing that neural excitability, information processing, and overt behavior are distinctly influenced by physiological body signals. This invites the combined assessment of respiration, heart, and gastrointestinal rhythms together with brain activity and promises to unravel dynamic and holistic interactions between peripheral and brain physiology that critically informs and advances our understanding of how we perceive, act, and evaluate the dynamically changing environment we live in.

>70 researchers and academics from all over the world gathered in Salerno, southern Italy (Antonio’s hometown).

Next to 3 exciting, productive, constructive days of discussions, the Waves crowd enjoyed the southern Italian cuisine, visited the Amalfi coast and the Greek temples in Paestum. A beach party perfectly wrapped up this fantastic journey – the first ‘Waves’ conference of a series!

Thank you all who joined us, and thanks the sponsors for their support: BrainProducts, mbt, Mentalab, Artinis.

The pint of science festival takes place from 9-11 May. You will find interesting talks in different locations. If you have difficulties to decide to which event you want to go, we can recommend the first session on Monday 9th at The student Hotel Maastricht. During the session ‘Do you hear what I hear?’ Xan Duggirala, Pia Brinkmann and Jana Devos will present interesting facts about hearing, auditory hallucinations and tinnitus.

The link for the event is here.

The link to the session ‘Do you hear what I hear?’ is here.

A new paper written by former BAND lab member Rachel Brown and lab director Sonja Kotz investigates predictive mechanisms in the aging brain. It is hypothesized that when we age subcortical-cortical communication decreases, while default executive coupling increases. Curious to read more? Go here.

On March 7, Xanthate and Pia pitched their PhD projects at the Women Researchers’Festival, which was held online and organized by the Female Empowerment group at Maastricht University.

Curious to read more about musical rhythm and how it engages a bilateral cortico-subcortical network that involves auditory and motor regions? Check out this new paper here.

Do we associated anger more with a male face and happiness more with a female face? Does this association between emotion and gender also extend to the auditory domain (e.g., voices)?

Faces and voices are more likely to be judged as male when they are angry, and as female when they are happy, new research has revealed. The study found that how we understand the emotional expression of a face or voice is heavily influenced by perceived sex, and vice versa. He said: “This study shows how important it is not to rely too much on your first impressions, as they can easily be wrong. “Next time you find yourself attributing happiness or sadness to a woman be aware of your bias and possible misinterpretation.”

If these questions poke your interest, please read here and find our article here.