Neural Mechanisms of Memory Research Group
The Neural Mechanisms of Memory Research Group (NEMO) of the Barcelonaβeta Brain Research Center (BBRC) focuses on neuronal mechanisms that underlie certain memory processes, especially on what is known as episodic memory: the memory of our life experiences. For this purpose, it studies data from epileptic patients implanted with intracranial records for clinical reasons. These electrodes typically cover the information of the hippocampal formation, which is an area known to be critical for declarative memory. It also allow researchers to simultaneously record dozens of individual neurons, as well as local field potentials and intracranial electroencephalographic (EEG) activity, while patients perform memory tasks.
The group is led by Dr Rodrigo Quian Quiroga, a BBRC visiting investigator, who is co-author of 4 books and more than 100 scientific articles in the most prestigious journals that have received more than 11,000 citations. Dr. Quian-Quiroga is interested in principles of Neural Coding, visual perception, memory, visuomotor transformations, single-trial evoked potentials, synchronization and the development of methods for the analysis of neurophysiology data.
Research lines
Neuronal correlations of memory formation, consolidation and recall
The study is carried out performing experiments with epileptic patients implanted with intracranial electrodes for medical reasons.
Development of advanced data processing methods to extract the maximum of information from the data
Use of Eye-tracker and EEG technology to study perceptual and memory processes in real life situations
Evaluation of potential clinical applications that could potentially help patients with related pathologies, such as Alzheimer’s disease
