Research facilities

The School's cognitive electrophysiology lab, with Brainproducts equipment and software, is run by Aureliu Lavric.  It is equipped to record EEGs and ERPs from dense arrays of active electrodes; there is an ultrasound digitiser for accurate localisation of electrodes and co-registration with MRI images.

Eye-tracking facilities (also run by Aureliu Lavric) has Eyelink II and Eyelink 2000 eye-tracking systems (SR-Research, Toronto) which allow monitoring of eye position at high sample rates.

The transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) lab (run by Frederick Verbruggen) has a Magstim Rapid 2 stimulator and a Brainsight Frameless system for positioning the coil relative to an MRI image.  Transcranial direct current stimulation facilities (TDCS) are being developed.  Combined TMS stimulation and EEG recording is possible.

Psychophysiological stimulation/recording facilities include Powerlab GSR and Electrodermal stimulation equipment.

There are a number of test rooms equipped with computers for behavioural research; the School has an E-prime license. There are high performance workstations for computational modelling and analysis of neuroscience data.

The university's MR scanner is a 1.5T Phillips Gyroscan Magnetic with SENSE technology capable of high speed whole-volume acquisitions for event and epoch fMRI designs. Button-box, joystick and trackball response manipulanda with optic-fibre connections are available.  The scanner is equipped with an Applied Science Labs MRI-compatible eye tracking system.  It is a research-dedicated machine, housed in the Peninsula Medical School's research building, and operated by the medical physicists in the Department of Physics; the School of Psychology is part of a consortium of users in several departments of the university and beyond.  Concurrent ERP and fMRI recording is available.

The clinical interface of our cognitive research is facilitated through a Centre for Clinical Neuropsychology, directed by Huw Williams.  Our cognitive neuropsychologists have good relations with clinicians in the region.  Some of us are involved in the Exeter Neuroscience Consortium, which brings together scientists from various disciplines in the university with neurologists and other clinicians in the local health service for monthly evening meetings.  Adam Zeman, Professor of Cognitive and Behavioural Neurology in the Medical School, is closely associated with the School of Psychology, and this provides a further interface between clinical services and neuropsychological research.