Cognitive Neuroscience

While functional hemispheric asymmetries in information processing have been known for some time, recent research has focused on the specific ways in which the two cerebral hemispheres collaborate in the processing of complex stimuli.

Lavidor and her team investigate the prerequisites of interhemispheric cooperation in word recognition and explore cognitive processes related to the recognition of emotions encoded in gestures, as well as the variations of stress, tone, and timing characteristic of spoken language.

In addition to applying behavioral and ERP methods to study interhemispheric cooperation and its underlying neural correlates, Lavidor and her team develop brain stimulation protocols to enhance interhemispheric cooperation and ultimately improve cognitive functions involved in word and emotion recognition.

Using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), a non-invasive technique for mapping and manipulating brain function, as well as direct neurostimulation via electrodes, Lavidor and her team examine interhemispheric asymmetry during complex cognitive tasks. They explore several cognitive tasks, mostly within the language domain but also related to cognitive control, emotional gestures and prosody.