To date, little is known about the role of the thalamus and thalamo-cortical communication for complex cognitive processes. This project, therefore investigates these issues in two experiments examining the role of thalamocortical communication for visual perception and episodic memory. Electrophysiological data are recorded directly from the thalamus in epileptic patients implanted for deep brain stimulation therapy. Oscillatory activity in the thalamus, and connectivity between the thalamus und other brain areas are analyzed. Experiment 1 employs a visual perception paradigm, Experiment 2 an episodic memory paradigm. Together, the project’s results may elucidate how thalamocortical communication aids human visual perception and episodic memory, and advance the understanding of the underlying neural mechanisms.
