The Brain Dynamics and Cognition Lab (BDAC Lab) is a research group based at the Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science at the University of Trento, in Rovereto.
The BDAC Lab research lines focused on the understanding of fundamental aspects of human sensation, perception and cognition, with a special focus on the functional role of neural oscillations and rhythmic brain activity. Specifically, all the main interests share a common purpose of understanding how timing and integration of sensory information in the brain influence cognition.
The lab carries on basic research projects trying to link mind and brain, and applied research focused on studying neurodevelopmental conditions such as developmental dyslexia, autism spectrum disorders, schizophrenia and schizotypy, to clarify how anomalies in basic sensory/cognitive functions and the related 'oscillopathies' can give rise to derailments of more complex domains.
Examples of current research lines include:
- Uni- and multi- sensory perception: Examines how the brain integrates or separates sensory inputs (vision, audition) over time, and why this varies across individuals.
- Reading & dyslexia: Studies how brain rhythms support visual processing in reading, focusing on how magnocellular-dorsal pathway disruptions may contribute to dyslexia.
- Autism and schizophrenia/schizotypy: Investigates how basic sensory and perceptual differences shape higher-level cognitive, perceptual and social difficulties in autism and schizophrenia spectrum disorders or their subclinical manifestations.
Principal Investigator contact: Luca Ronconi, luca.ronconi@unitn.it