Clinical Research Directory

The Computational and Neural Mechanisms Linking Decision-making and Memory in Humans

Learning to make good decisions in the present, and accurately recalling events and information from the past, are critical aspects of human cognition that are often impaired in many psychiatric disorders. This project aims to identify the how the choices individuals make influence what, and how, people remember by combining disparate techniques in computational modeling and direct brain recordings in human subjects. The researcher developed a dual-task paradigm, probing how decisions in one task affect immediate recognition memory. To examine the neural mechanisms underlying model-free RL's influence on memory, the researcher will record local field potential (LFP) and single neuron activity in various brain regions as epilepsy patients perform the proposed task. The results of this project will identify specific neurocomputational mechanisms unifying decision-making and memory processes.

Evaluation of the Effect of Memory-based Reminiscence Therapy

The main objective of this study is to examine the effects of memory-based recall therapy applied to elderly adults diagnosed with Stage 0, 1, and 2 dementia on their mental state, psychological flexibility, and cognitive flexibility. The original flow plan created in the study is not found in the literature. Therefore, presenting the effects of memory-based recall on cognition in the literature may demonstrate that the contents of classical recall therapy can also be effectively restructured with cognitive effects. From this perspective, the aim is to make recommendations for "advanced psychiatric nursing practices." Research Hypotheses: H0: Memory-based recall therapy has no effect on mental state, psychological flexibility, and cognitive flexibility in individuals with early-stage dementia. H1: Memory-based Recall Therapy has an effect on mental state, psychological flexibility, and cognitive flexibility in individuals with early-stage dementia.

Neurofeedback Removal of Emotional Information From Mind

This project will examine whether individuals can be trained, using real-time feedback about brain function during neuroimaging, to effectively remove thoughts from mind by providing them with a sense of what it feels like to successfully remove a thought.