Dr. Peter J. Uhlhaas, University of Glasgow, UK

• Reader (Institute of Neuroscience and Psychology)
• Reader (School of Psychology)

Peter Uhlhaas' current research interests are:

1. Neurophysiology of Cognitive Deficits and Symptoms in Schizophrenia
2. Cognition and Physiology of Adolescent Brain Maturation
3. Neural Oscillations and their Role in Cognition and Perception
4. Autism Spectrum Disorders

Please sign up for the guest talk at:
https://mindlab.au.dk/menu186-en

Abstract for the talk:

In the lecture, I will summarize our recent work with Magnetoencephalography (MEG) which has examined the role of neural oscillations during normal brain functioning as well as in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. Our studies in normal participants suggest that single-trial fluctuations of neural oscillations can be used to predict working memory capacity, highlighting the mechanistic contribution of rhythmic activity towards higher cognitive processes. Moreover, we have successfully applied MEG source-reconstruction techniques to assess phase-coupling between cortical gamma-band activity and thalamic alpha oscillations, highlight the suitability of MEG to examine cortical-subcortical interactions.

In addition, we have carried out several studies which have examined the role of gamma-band oscillations and event-related fields (ERFs) in sensory processing in schizophrenia. These results highlight a pronounced impairment in high-frequency activity in both chronic and unmedicated patients as well as the potential contribution of impaired prediction processes as revealed by the analysis of the magnetic mismatch negativity field (MMF) towards perceptual impairments in the disorder. The pattern of dysfunctional gamma-band activity and aberrant ERF-responses in schizophrenia are consistent with the effects of ketamine in healthy volunteers, highlighting the central role of aberrant NMDA-receptor functioning for the understanding of abnormal circuit functioning in schizophrenia.

In addition to investigations into the adult cortex, our recent work has employed MEG to understand the developmental trajectory of neural oscillations during adolescence and the possibility to develop a biomarker for early detection and diagnosis of ScZ. We found marked changes in the amplitude of high-frequency oscillations and synchrony that were particularly pronounced during the transition from adolescence to adulthood. These findings may be relevant for the understanding of schizophrenia as a disorder of late brain maturation with implications for early intervention and diagnosis.  

ALL ARE WELCOME