MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit

 

Welcome to the CBU

The MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit (CBU) is an internationally leading centre for research in the cognitive sciences and neurosciences, with close links to clinical neuroscience research in the University of Cambridge Medical School. Over 120 scientists, students, and support staff, primarily based at the Unit's Chaucer Rd site, are organised into four major research groupings, in the areas of Memory, Attention, Emotion, and Language. With dedicated 3T MRI (Siemens TIM Trio) and 306-channel MEG (Elekta-Neuromag) facilities available on site, the Unit has particular strengths in the application of neuro-imaging techniques in the context of well-developed neuro-cognitive theory. More about the Unit ...

Help us with our research

Research at the CBU is dependent on members of the public who volunteer to take part in our studies. If you would like to help us (and earn some money), read about our volunteer panel. We welcome volunteers of all ages.

Latest news

• February 2010: Brain scan gives vegetative state patient the power to say "Yes" and "No"

  A patient presumed to be in a vegetative state for five years can communicate 'yes' and 'no' using just his thoughts, according to new research from the Medical Research Council (MRC) and the University of Liege. In 2003 the patient, a 29 year old man, sustained a severe traumatic brain injury in a road traffic accident. He remained physically unresponsive and was presumed to be in a vegetative state. Using a scanning technique called functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), the patient's brain activity was mapped while he was asked to answer 'yes' or 'no' to questions such as 'Is your father's name Thomas?'. The patient could communicate answers by wilfully changing his brain activity. In the three-year study, 23 patients diagnosed as being in a vegetative state were scanned using fMRI, which was able to detect signs of awareness in four of these cases (17 per cent). The fMRI method used can decipher the brain's answers to questions in healthy, non-vegetative, participants with 100 per cent accuracy, but it has never before been tried in a patient who cannot move or speak. This new method of using fMRI was developed by Dr Adrian Owen and his team here at the MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit in Cambridge. Adrian said: "We were astonished when we saw the results of the patient's scan and that he was able to correctly answer the questions that were asked by simply changing his thoughts. Not only did these scans tell us that the patient was not in a vegetative state but, more importantly, for the first time in 5 years it provided the patient with a way of communicating his thoughts to the outside world."

  Dr Steven Laureys, co-author from the University of Liège, confirmed: "So far these scans have proven to be the only viable method for this patient to communicate in any way since his accident. It's early days, but in the future we hope to develop this technique to allow some patients to express their feelings and thoughts, control their environment and increase their quality of life."

  Dr Martin Monti, also from the CBU added: "The fact that this patient was able to communicate with scientists using his brain activity suggests that this technique could be used to address important clinical questions. For example, patients who are aware, but cannot move or speak, could be asked if they are feeling any pain, allowing doctors to decide when painkillers should be administered."

  The study involved experts from the Medical Research Council Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, the Wolfson Brain Imaging Centre in Cambridge and a Belgian team based at the University of Liège. The research is published in the New England Journal of Medicine and was part-funded by the Medical Research Council.

  For further information press here.

• January 2010: EU grant for Postgraduate Training Network awarded to CBU and partners

  The grant, which is approximately €1million, is aimed at improving the standards of postgraduate training in different areas of neuroscience over the next three years. An international consortium of universities and research institutions has been given the EC Tempus IV award for a joint European programme entitled "Postgraduate Training Network in Biotechnology of Neurosciences (BioN)". Dr Yury Shtyrov who takes part in coordinating the project on behalf of the CBU said "We are thrilled to be part of this prestigious award which will enable us to take even further steps towards international compatibility of our PhD training in line with the Bologna process and the European Higher Education Area".

  In addition to the MRC Cognition & Brain Sciences Unit, the key partners include University of Helsinki (Finland), University of Umea (Sweden), Ecole Normale Superieure de Paris (France), St Petersburg State University (Russia), plus other schools and individual experts across Europe. The MRC CBU is committed to excellence in all areas of neuroscience research, investing in the sustainable training and education of future generations of neuroscientists, and to large-scale international collaborations that are productive and mutually beneficial.