Stefano Arlaud

Profile

Project Title: Neural correlates of time processing

Summary: 

Time processing is fundamental to our experience and yet so difficult to grasp. Accordingly, a cognitive neuroscience challenge is to better understand the mechanistic basis of interval timing in the sub- and supra-second range. Developmental functional imaging studies focusing on late developing executive functions involved in time perception show a linear, age-dependent maturation of prefrontal, striatal and parietal brain networks during cognitive tasks in addition with other results reporting progressive left-lateralization with age within frontal brain regions. In the light of this literature, this research proposal intends to focus on the characterization of fronto-temporal interactions of processing time in typically developed (TD) individuals during normal waking state as well as drowsiness and sleep, including the transitional hypnagogic state.

In this framework, the functional connectivity can be regarded as one of the core neural mechanisms of time perception functions accordingly with the implementation of Dynamic Casual Modelling (DCM) analysis. Consistently with this methodology, further examining and scrutinising two available datasets involving EEG data on time perception task in the hypnagogic state and on time processing from a neurodevelopmental perspective respectively would help to design an original EEG study on time processing in altered states of consciousness, such as sleep and hypnagogia, aiming to address three different attributes of time processing: neural timing, behavioural timing and its metacognition. 

Supervisor:

• Dr Valdas Noreika 

Research