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Executive processes
Basic and clinical research in attention, consciousness and cognitive control
The fundamental questions addressed in our work include brain mechanisms of selective, divided and sustained attention; consciousness and its disorders; frontal lobe functions and their role in cognitive control and intelligence; attention and working memory; spatial attention and representation. Clinical research addresses the assessment and management of a wide range of behavioural and brain disorders, including stroke, Parkinson's Disease, ADHD, vegetative state and coma. Our research approach extends from behavioural experiments to detailed measurements of brain activity. Methods include structural and functional MRI, connectivity analysis, MEG, and electrophysiology.
Members of our group
More can be found on our people pages.
John Duncan
- Cognitive and neural mechanisms of selective perception and action
- Frontoparietal control of intelligent behaviour
Susan Gathercole
- Cognitive processes in children with developmental disorders (Gathercole). Invesigations into the cognitive processes of memory, attention, language, and learning. What is the nature of the underlying cognitive deficits in children with developmental disorders in these areas of cognition? How might these deficits be ameliorated with either cognitive or educational interventions?
Tom Manly
- The nature, assessment and rehabilitation of disorders of attention and executive function.
James Rowe
- Functional neuroimaging (MEG and fMRI) of frontal-lobe function
- Analysis of connectivity in distributed brain networks
- Cognitive deficits in Parkinson's disease, Frontotemporal dementias and related frontostriatal disorders
- Executive functions, Cognitive and Action control, Volition and Social Cognition
See also the Cambridge University Neurology Unit page and the Cambridge Neuroscience link.
Read about the Rowe Lab research....
Tristan Bekinschtein
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Non-classical approaches to the study of physiology and cognition of consciousness.
For more information please see my personal pages or our group page.
Duncan Astle
My research uses EEG and MEG to explore the neural and cognitive mechanisms of top-down attentional control. These methods have a 'real-time' resolution that is ideal for studying rapid neural processes, such as short-term memory and attention. In particular I am focussed upon how these executive mechanisms develop through childhood, and the impact of this development upon educational outcome. In the future I am interested in exploring:
- how the developing brain mediates the effect of the environment (for instance cognitive or educational intervention) and the child's genetic background (for instance genes that code for variation in cortical and subcortical dopamine levels).
- the relationship between top-down attentional control and short-term memory maintenance
- the development of short-term / working memory, attentional control and their relationship with educational progress
- the neural mechanisms that underpin attentional control and their development into adulthood.
For more information please see my personal pages.
Previous Members
Adrian Owen
- Functional neuroimaging (PET and fMRI) of frontal-lobe function
- Neuropsychology of planning, working memory and related 'executive' functions
- Cognitive deficits in Parkinson's disease and related frontostriatal disorders
Adrian has moved to the University of Western Ontario in Canada.
Rhodri Cusack
- Selective attention, short-term memory and the parietal lobe
- Neuroimaging methods
Rhodri has now moved to the University of Western Ontario in Canada.
Group Meetings
The Executive processes group meetings are held fortnightly on Tuesday afternoons at 3.45pm.