Research Areas

 The Cognitive Neurology Research Group (CNG) at the German Primate Center (DPZ) operates as a satellite of the Department of Cognitive Neurology at the University Medical Center Göttingen (UMG) and functions under the auspices of the Department of Cognitive Neuroscience at the DPZ, led by Prof. Dr. Stefan Treue. The CNG is headed by Prof. Dr. Melanie Wilke, and its department also hosts the Central Facility for MR-based Neuroscience Research, directed by PD Dr. Peter Dechent.  

Our primary aim is to understand the neural basis of conscious perception and its connection to the selection and execution of action plans. Our research employs a multimodal approach that integrates causal brain modulation techniques with fMRI and electrophysiological recordings, conducted both in healthy subjects and in patients, such as those recovering from a stroke.  

The long-term objective of our research program is to uncover the neural mechanisms underlying both normal and impaired visual perception and decision-making. Our projects focus on two key questions:  

1. What brain activity patterns accompany the awareness of visual stimuli, and which types of activity are causal—representing the actual substrate of perception or merely a consequence of conscious awareness? A particular emphasis is placed on the potential causal role of neural oscillations in thalamo-cortical circuits in visual perception.  

2. What neural mechanisms underlie deficits and recovery in spatial perception and visually guided behavior? In this area, we perform comparative studies on the effects of reversible and structural lesions on network activity in non-human primates and neurological patients.  

To address these questions, we employ intracranial recordings, pharmacological inactivation, and fMRI in macaques. In humans, we combine non-invasive brain modulation methods (tACS, tDCS, and TMS) with fMRI in healthy participants and neurological patients. Our research seeks to bridge the gap between basic neuroscience and clinical research.