A multidisciplinary and collaborative team
Understanding the mechanisms underlying cognitive and emotional behaviour and the disruption of these processes by drugs, ageing, atypical development or disease.
The Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience Research Group comprises academics, post-docs and postgraduates with research backgrounds in cognitive psychology, psychophysiology, psychopharmacology and neuroscience.
This video shows a microneurography experiment with Francis McGlone; the electrodes are recording from within the lateral cutaneous nerve of the forearm while the participant is awake, comfortable and fully responsive. The activity of a single hair unit can be seen and heard in response to the brush strokes delivered by a Robotic Tactile Stimulator (RTS). The group has the only active microneurography lab in the UK. They use this unique technique to investigate the peripheral nerve activity behind social touch and pain and its relationship to conscious perceptual experience.
Expertise
We share a common interest in understanding the mechanisms underlying cognitive and emotional behaviour and the disruption of these processes by drugs, ageing, atypical development or disease. Our experimental approach combines neuroimaging, electrophysiology (EEG and microneurography), pharmacological and physiological techniques with behavioural testing procedures, thus encompassing multiple levels of analysis.
Collaborations
We collaborate with researchers across LJMU from pharmacy, computing, sports science and public health on multidisciplinary projects with an applied focus. In addition, we have strong collaborative links, both nationally and internationally, with other universities, charities and industrial partners.
Our research is funded by:
- The European Union
- The Leverhulme Trust
- Medical Research Council
- Pain Relief Foundation
- BIAL Foundation
- Mersey Care NHS Trust
- GlaxoSmithKline
- Unilever
Teaching and learning
All staff in the group contribute to teaching modules on the BSc (Hons) Applied Psychology programme (cognitive neuroscience, appetitive behaviour, social cognition and substance use modules) and some to the BSc (Hons) Animal Behaviour or Health Psychology (MSc) programme.
Facilities
Our research is conducted within modern laboratories housed within the Tom Reilly Building. We have a specialist laboratory equipped for somatosensory psychophysics with a Medoc Pathway Pain & Thermal Sensory Evaluation System. We are also one of the first laboratories in the UK to have a microneurography capability. Our psychophysiology laboratories house a Faraday Cage, along with 128, 64 and 32 channel EEG systems. In addition, we have fNIRS, EMG, ECG capabilities.
Group members have a long-term association with the Sir Peter Mansfield Magnetic Resonance Centre, University of Nottingham (which houses an ultra-high-field 7T fMRI) as well as the Magnetic Resonance and Image Analysis Research Centre (MARIARC) at the University of Liverpool.
People
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PhD students
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Publications
20 papers found
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Journal article
A Quantitative Sensory Testing Approach to Pain in Autism Spectrum Disorders.
Vaughan S, McGlone F and Poole H and Moore DJ
Publish date:2019
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Journal article
A touching Sight: EEG/ERP correlates for the vicarious processing of affectionate touch
Schirmer A and McGlone F
Publish date:2019
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Journal article
An ultrafast system for signaling mechanical pain in human skin
Nagi SS, Marshall AG, Makdani A, Jarocka E, Liljencrantz J, Ridderstrom M, Shaikh S, O'Neill F, Saade D, Donkervoort S, Foley AR, Minde J, Trulsson M, Cole J, Bonnemann CG, Chesler AT, Bushnell MC and McGlone F and Olausson H
Publish date:2019
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Conference publication
CSF butyrylcholinesterase and acetyl-cholinesterase activity and their relationship to pro-inflammatory cytokines in late-life major depression
Pomara N, Bruno D, Nierenberg J, Reichert C, Fu M and Zetterberg H and Blennow K
Publish date:2019
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Journal article
C-TACTILE SYSTEM AND AFFECTIVE TOUCH: HISTORY OF DISCOVERY AND CURRENT STATE OF THE CONCEPT
Varlamov AA and Portnova GV and McGlone F
Publish date:2019
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Conference publication
Detecting and Visualizing Context and Stress via a Fuzzy Rule-Based System during Commuter Driving
Dobbins C and Fairclough S
Publish date:2019
