The CNRL focuses on understanding the pathophysiology of psychotic disorders through the study of human neurophysiology, We utilize multimodal brain imaging to examine thought disturbance (cognitive-level) and basic auditory processing abnormalities (sensory-level) in psychosis. The CNRL specializes in event-related potential recordings in humans using electroencephalography and magnetoencrephalography, and structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging. The goal of our work is to understand the underlying brain abnormalities leading to psychosis. Understanding of the basic dysfunctions, in turn, will lead to earlier identification, better interventions, and improved outcome in schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders.

Research 

Our goal at the Clinical Neurophysiology Research Laboratory is to further understand the neurophysiology of psychosis. Brain activity measures span simple sensory and perceptual processes to complex higher-order cognition. Dysfunction in local circuit activity, reflected in sensory processing deficits, and in long-range distributed cortical processing, reflected in deficits in the interplay between semantic memory neural storage networks and working memory systems that allow adaptive and flexible human behavior in the face of unique current situations, are the main areas of inquiry by which our team attempts to detect the underlying brain abnormalities giving rise to psychosis. Understanding of the basic dysfunctions, in turn, will lead to earlier identification, better interventions, and improved outcome in schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders.