Staff
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Prof. Dr. Cornelius Schwarz
Organization: Werner Reichardt Center for Integrative Neuroscience
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Address: |
Otfried-Müller-Str. 25 |
Phone number: ++49/(0)7071/2980462
Department: CIN Systems Neurophysiology
Position: Head of Research Group
Area: CIN Members
Scientific topic: Systems Neurophysiology, Behavioral Neurophysiology
Field of Research
Our main interest is how the activity of single neurons and small neuron networks relate to behavior. We work on questions how top-down signals modulate sensory processing and affect perception (active perception). Candidate top-down signals are those related to movements that serve sensation and presumably improve perception. In future studies we will study if and how executive signals generated in the prefrontal cortex act on the sensorimotor loop to improve perception and/or prepare movements.
Methods
Our model system is whisker-based tactile perception in rodents. These animals use delibaretely tuned whisker movements to scan their tactile environment. Currently we apply multi neuron, multi-electrode extracellular electrophysiology in awake behaviorally trained rodents.
Keywords
active perception; behavioural neuroscience; cognitive neuroscience; microstimulation; neuro-physiology; neuro-prosthetics; somatosensory system
Publications
- Hentschke H, Haiss F, Schwarz C (2006). Central signals rapidly switch tactile processing in rat barrel cortex during whisker movements. Cereb Cortex. 16(8):1142-56.
- Stüttgen MC, Rüter J, Schwarz C (2006). Two psychophysical channels of whisker deflection in rats align with two neuronal classes of primary afferents. J Neurosci. 26(30):7933-41.
- Stüttgen MC, Schwarz C (2008). Psychophysical and neurometric detection performance under stimulus uncertainty. Nat Neurosci. 11(9):1091-9.