Research Topics
The Laboratory of Neuropsychology and Human Neuroscience’s research focuses on (1) what and how experiences induce beneficial neuroplastic changes, and (2) the neurocognitive and neuro-affective underpinnings of functions that define the human nature of an individual. The goal of our Lab is to create knowledge that contributes to promoting brain health and psychological health.
Neuroplasticity (otherwise known as neural or brain plasticity) is the ability of neural networks in the brain to change according to experiences. These experience-induced changes range from the generation and modification of synapses, to larger-scale adjustments in cortical remapping and functional reorganization. In turn, these structural and functional changes enable humans to adapt their behavioral outputs to meet situational challenges. Thus, neuroplasticity underpins mental and behavioral flexibility that marks brain and psychological health.
In our Lab, we have examined how experiences lead to structural-functional changes of the brain affecting behaviors.
Neuro-cognitive and -affective processes underpin cognitive and affective regulation. Our Lab utilizes social-cognitive-affective principles to understand a range of everyday phenomena. We also investigate processes that have undergone pathological changes leading to cognitive and/or affective dysregulation in clinical populations.
The brain is a vital organ that coordinates thoughts and feelings to produce an integral sense of self and psychological well-being. However, our brain health can be challenged by natural processes such as ageing, or in cases of trauma and neurodegenerative conditions.
The brain goes through a series of changes during natural aging, causing adverse impacts on our cognitive and affective functioning. In the cognitive domain, gradual weakness in neurocognitive abilities, such as processing speed, attention, and memory, is common. Associated with these neurocognitive changes are age-related changes in brain structures and functions. Older people suffering from pathological aging, such as mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or different forms of dementia, experience significant functional decline in their neurocognitive and affective processes.
Our line of research on ageing compares the cognitive and affective functioning in healthy and clinical populations (e.g. those with MCI, dementia, and/or Alzheimer’s Disease). In addition, we are interested in examining how ageing renders our vulnerability to loneliness and depression.
The Lab conducts studies in neurological patients to identify strategies effective for promoting functional recovery in such individuals. Besides, the data from lesion studies offer irreplaceable insight in brain-behavior relationships. To this end, we have examined functional changes in individuals with traumatic brain injury, and have made subsequent predictions of their cognitive functioning. Potential applications from this line of research include promoting neurocognitive functioning and identifying recovery pathways.
The World Health Organization defines psychological health as a state of well-being in which an individual realizes their potential, can cope with daily stressors effectively, work productively, and contribute to their community fruitfully. Yet stress has become an inevitable component of our daily living, accompanied by an escalating sense of loneliness among people from all walks of life. While some of us can rebound from the detrimental effects of stress and loneliness, there are others whose resilience is not of sufficient strength to protect them from developing mood disorders. What happens when we face overwhelming stress, either caused by chronic issues or major life events? What about when we feel lonely for a prolonged period of time? Do such experiences unanimously result in the development of mental health conditions, such as depression and anxiety? The Lab endeavors to answer such questions via research projects on stress, loneliness, depression, and resilience.
Stress can come from our environment, our body, or even our thoughts. Events such as natural disasters, health concerns, unforeseen changes with our relationships, work, or school, can throw us off our balance and overwhelm our stress response. When we are under stress, our body exhibits a neurophysiological response to help us cope with the perceived threat at hand. However, chronic stress renders our vulnerability to mental health conditions, in addition to an array of long-term health problems.
Broadly speaking, our line of research studies the impact of stress on structural and functional brain connectivity, in addition to its effects on overall cognitive and affective functioning.
Loneliness causes significant emotional stress. It is a significant risk factor for various physical and mental health conditions. Research data in this area suggest that chronic loneliness exacerbates health conditions in already immunocompromised populations, in addition to threatening their mental well-being.
In our Lab, we are interested in examining the effects of loneliness on functional connectivity in both healthy and clinical populations, in addition to studying how it is implicated in ageing.
Resilience is the ability to cope with and adapt well to life’s adversities. It explains the individual variation in the response to and the recovery from stress. Resilience exhibits protective effects by offsetting the risk factors (e.g. conflict and abuse) associated with various mental health conditions; such that those who are more resilient adapt better and more quickly to life’s challenges, and are thus at a lower risk of developing conditions such as depression and anxiety.
In our Lab, we are interested in seeking the neurobiological markers of resilience, in addition to understanding its protective effect from stress-related illnesses.
Prolonged stress can be a significant risk factor for depression, a mood disorder characterized by a prolonged low (‘depressed’) mood, a loss of interest and/or pleasure in all activities, and fatigue. Risk factors for depression span across many domains, and include: genetics, bereavement, abuse, substance abuse, medications, and other illnesses (such as anxiety, ADHD, chronic pain). Research in the older population has demonstrated their increased susceptibility to feelings of loneliness, as well as higher rates of depression, anxiety, and suicide.
Our Lab studies depression in the context of stress, loneliness, and resilience. We are interested in how depression influences the neurological structure of the brain, in addition to its effects on social-cognitive-affective processing.
Ongoing Research Projects
Utilizing transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to boost social pleasure and participation in older lonely individuals
Funding Agency: Research Grants Council (RGC) General Research Fund (GRF)
Reduce high-risk behaviours under chronic stress via tDCS-induced neural plasticity
Funding Agency: Research Grants Council (RGC) General Research Fund (GRF)
