The Cognition and Consciousness Lab (CCL) studies the dynamic brain processes underlying disorders of consciousness and various cognitive functions, such as memory, language production, and perception. Our research sits at the intersection of clinical neurophysiology, cognitive neuroscience, engineering, and critical care. We use signal processing of electroencephalography (EEG) to optimize care for people with central nervous system disorders, including ICU delirium, epilepsy, dementia, and traumatic brain injury (TBI).
CCL is a proud affiliate of:
Critical Illness, Brain Dysfunction, and Survivorship (CIBS) Center
VUMC Department of Neurology
Vanderbilt University Department of Biomedical Engineering
Vanderbilt Institute for Surgery and Engineering
Vanderbilt Memory and Alzheimer's Center
Electroencephalography (EEG) provides a window into brain physiologic function at multiple scales. Our lab explores ways in which EEG signal processing can be used to gain insight to brain functions associated with disorders of consciousness and various cognitive processes. Some lines of study include (1) Decoding of the spectral patterns in scalp EEG to understand possible neuroanatomic mechanisms underlying the paradoxical arousals demonstrated in some patients with chronic, severe brain injury, (2) Using the high gamma activity patterns of intracranial EEG recordings to learn about the cognitive processes associated with language and memory functions. (3) Determining the EEG spectral, complexity, and functional connectivity signatures indicating delirium and predicting long-term cognitive impairment during and after critical illness.
Our findings provide a foundation for use of EEG metrics to guide delirium management in the ICU and cognitive rehabilitation after critical illness. Yet there are a number of unanswered questions that impact the use and interpretation of these findings, making EEG signal processing in disorders of consciousness and cognition an area of study that is ripe for discovery.