On these pages you can read about part of the research projects I am involved in. I will not go into detail about my PhD research, you can go to the publications section and download the thesis if you wish. Till recently, there were three main topics, of which you can find some information on my website.
In 2007, I received a VENI grant to investigate the possible interactions between acetylcholine and serotonin in memory processing at Maastricht University. It is this topic that I spend most of my time on. I have done some studies in which I examined memory in both humans and rats manipulating only one neurotransmitter. I have also performed some EEG studies in both species now in which I manipulate both neurotransmitters simultaneously. Furthermore, I spent some time in Helsinki last year to perform an MEG study in healthy adults. I hope to present my first results here soon.
At Maastricht University, I am also involved in a project in which the vulnerability to become psychotic is examined in healthy siblings of schizophrenics. The focus is on various EEG and ERP components.
The final major project I am working on, is attentive processing in healthy newborns. During my stay in Helsinki in 2004-2005, I presented meaningful stimuli to sleeping newborns and recorded their EEG and also MEG activity. In 2008, when I stayed in Helsinki for an MEG study on neurotransmitter manipulations, I have again recorded brain activity in some newborns, but this time in response to consonant and dissonant sounds. In this type of research, I would always stay with the infant during the measurement. And I can tell you, listening to dissonant sounds (12 times for about an hour) was not the most pleasant part of my stay in Helsinki.
In 2008, a PhD project was established on the role of the cholinergic M1 receptor in cognition (e.g., memory and psychosis). This project is carried out by Inge Klinkenberg under the supervision of Arjan Blokland, Wim Riedel, and me. The final research topic is about the role of the thalamo-cortico-striatal network on psychomotor and executive functions. This 4-year project was recently started and is carried out by our PhD student Anke Linssen. Anke will be supervised by Eric Vuurman, Wim Riedel, and me.
