Neural Plasticity Lab

Plasticity / Learning

Plasticity is the ability of the brain to adapt to new experiences and boundary conditions over the entire lifespan. When we learn something, we acquire knowledge and skills through instruction, practice and experience. This learning requires permanent changes in the brain. The ability of the brain to change through learning is called neuroplasticity.

Aging

The age structure of modern industrial societies is characterized by an enormous increase of the elderly. Thus, the understanding of the aging process is increasingly of great importance. The aim is to create foundations for healthy aging, which makes it possible to live independently as long as possible.

Haptic

The sense of touch - The underrated sense. How important is the sense of touch in a predominantly visually dominated world? What distinguishes the sense of touch from other senses? We investigate the properties and characteristics of tactile perception in the context of neural processing and "haptic design".

Special: Stroke rehabilitation

As part of a collaboration between neuroscientists of the “Institute for Neuroinformatics” and neurologists of the hospital “Bergmannsheil”, both in Bochum, a method for performance improvement of the human sense of touch has been developed in recent years: The sensitive stimulation.

Sensory stimulation glove

Selective electrical stimulation protocols can stimulate learning processes associated with improved tactile performance. To ease up the sensory stimulation to the subject, specific stimulation gloves were developed. These allow specific stimulation of all five fingers of one hand. This study will investigate whether the known influence of stimulation protocols can be observed on the tactile performance of the finger by stimulation gloves.

    2020

  • SpikeDeep-Classifier: A deep-learning based fully automatic offline spike sorting algorithm
    Saif-ur-Rehman, M., Ali, O., Dyck, S., Lienkämper, R., Metzler, M., Parpaley, Y., et al.
    Journal of Neural Engineering
  • 2019

  • SpikeDeeptector: A deep-learning based method for detection of neural spiking activity
    Saif-ur-Rehman, M., Lienkämper, R., Parpaley, Y., Wellmer, J., Liu, C., Lee, B., et al.
    Journal of Neural Engineering
  • 2015

  • Evoking plasticity through sensory stimulation: Implications for learning and rehabilitation
    Dinse, H. R., & Tegenthoff, M.
    e-Neuroforum, 1(1),
  • Resting BOLD fluctuations in the primary somatosensory cortex correlate with tactile acuity
    Haag, L. M., Heba, S., Lenz, M., Glaubitz, B., Höffken, O., Kalisch, T., et al.
    Cortex, 64, 20–28
  • State-dependencies of learning across brain scales
    Ritter, P., Born, J., Brecht, M., Dinse, H. R., Heinemann, U., Pleger, B., et al.
    Frontiers in Computational Neuroscience, 9
  • 2014

  • Touch improvement at the hand transfers to the face
    Muret, D., Dinse, H. R., Macchione, S., Urquizar, C., Farne, A., & Reilly, K. T.
    Curr. Biol., 24(16), R736–737
  • Tactile Acuity Charts: A Reliable Measure of Spatial Acuity
    Bruns, P., Camargo, C. J., Campanella, H., Esteve, J., Dinse, H. R., & Röder, B.
    PloS one, 9(2), e87384
  • Tanz im Alter: Fitness für Gehirn, Geist und Körper
    Kattenstroth, J. C., Kalisch, T., Tegenthoff, M., & Dinse, H. R.
    In C. Behrens & Rosenberg, C. (Eds.), TanzZeit – LebensZeit, Tanzforschung 2014 (pp. 115–135) Leipzig: Henschel Verlag
  • Effects of combining 2 weeks of passive sensory stimulation with active hand motor training in healthy adults
    Ladda, A. M., Pfannmoeller, J. P., Kalisch, T., Roschka, S., Platz, T., Dinse, H. R., & Lotze, M.
    PloS one, 9(1), e84402
  • Opposing effects of dopamine antagonism in a motor sequence task—tiapride increases cortical excitability and impairs motor learning
    Lissek, S., Vallana, G. S., Schlaffke, L., Lenz, M., Dinse, H. R., & Tegenthoff, M.
    Frontiers in behavioral neuroscience, 8
  • Synergistic effects of noradrenergic modulation with atomoxetine and 10 Hz repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation on motor learning in healthy humans
    Sczesny-Kaiser, M., Bauknecht, A., Höffken, O., Tegenthoff, M., Dinse, H. R., Jancke, D., et al.
    BMC neuroscience, 15(1), 46
  • Synergistic effects of noradrenergic modulation with atomoxetine and 10 Hz repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation on motor learning in healthy humans
    Sczesny-Kaiser, M., Bauknecht, A., Hoffken, O., Tegenthoff, M., Dinse, H. R., Jancke, D., et al.
    BMC Neurosci, 15, 46
  • The role of alpha-rhythm states in perceptual learning: insights from experiments and computational models
    Sigala, R., Haufe, S., Roy, D., Dinse, H. R., & Ritter, P.
    Front Comput Neurosci, 8, 36
  • 2013

  • Quantitative assessment of joint position sense recovery in subacute stroke patients: a pilot study
    Kattenstroth, J. C., Kalisch, T., Kowalewski, R., Tegenthoff, M., & Dinse, H. R.
    J Rehabil Med, 45(10), 1004–1009
  • Effects of aging on properties of the local circuit in rat primary somatosensory cortex (S1) in vitro
    Hickmott, P., & Dinse, H.
    Cereb. Cortex, 23(10), 2500–2513
  • Effects of aging on properties of the local circuit in rat primary somatosensory cortex (S1) in vitro
    Hickmott, P., & Dinse, H.
    Cereb. Cortex, 23(10), 2500–2513
  • Learning without training
    Beste, C., & Dinse, H. R.
    Curr. Biol., 23(11), R489–499
  • Influence of stimulation intensity on paired-pulse suppression of human median nerve somatosensory evoked potentials
    Gatica Tossi, M. A., Lillemeier, A. S., & Dinse, H. R.
    Neuroreport, 24(9), 451–456
  • Phosphene thresholds correlate with paired-pulse suppression of visually evoked potentials
    Hoffken, O., Lenz, M., Sczesny-Kaiser, M., Dinse, H. R., & Tegenthoff, M.
    Brain Stimul, 6(2), 118–121
  • State-dependent perceptual learning
    Freyer, F., Becker, R., Dinse, H. R., & Ritter, P.
    J. Neurosci., 33(7), 2900–2907
  • Six months of dance intervention enhances postural, sensorimotor, and cognitive performance in elderly without affecting cardio-respiratory functions
    Kattenstroth, J. C., Kalisch, T., Holt, S., Tegenthoff, M., & Dinse, H. R.
    Front Aging Neurosci, 5, 5
  • Brain activation in motor sequence learning is related to the level of native cortical excitability
    Lissek, S., Vallana, G. S., Gunturkun, O., Dinse, H., & Tegenthoff, M.
    PLoS ONE, 8(4), e61863
  • Behavioural and neurophysiological markers reveal differential sensitivity to homeostatic interactions between centrally and peripherally applied passive stimulation
    Tossi, G., Stude, P., Schwenkreis, P., Tegenthoff, M., & Dinse, H. R.
    European Journal of Neuroscience, 38(6), 2893–2901
  • 2012

  • Faster perceptual learning through excitotoxic neurodegeneration
    Beste, C., Wascher, E., Dinse, H. R., & Saft, C.
    Curr. Biol., 22(20), 1914–1917
  • Perceptual improvement following repetitive sensory stimulation depends monotonically on stimulation intensity
    Schlieper, S., & Dinse, H. R.
    Brain Stimul, 5(4), 647–651
  • Noradrenergic modulation of human visual cortex excitability assessed by paired-pulse visual-evoked potentials
    Hoffken, O., Lenz, M., Hockelmann, N., Dinse, H. R., & Tegenthoff, M.
    Neuroreport, 23(12), 707–711
  • Choosing to improve or to impair
    Dinse, H. R.
    Clin Neurophysiol, 123(6), 1063–1064
  • Increased excitability of somatosensory cortex in aged humans is associated with impaired tactile acuity
    Lenz, M., Tegenthoff, M., Kohlhaas, K., Stude, P., Hoffken, O., Gatica Tossi, M. A., et al.
    J. Neurosci., 32(5), 1811–1816
  • Cortical topography of intracortical inhibition influences the speed of decision making
    Wilimzig, C., Ragert, P., & Dinse, H. R.
    Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A., 109(8), 3107–3112
  • Plasticity of adult sensorimotor system
    Canu, M. H., Coq, J. O., Barbe, M. F., & Dinse, H. R.
    Neural Plast., 2012, 768259
  • Repetitive tactile stimulation changes resting-state functional connectivity-implications for treatment of sensorimotor decline
    Freyer, F., Reinacher, M., Nolte, G., Dinse, H. R., & Ritter, P.
    Front Hum Neurosci, 6, 144
  • Age-related changes in the joint position sense of the human hand
    Kalisch, T., Kattenstroth, J. C., Kowalewski, R., Tegenthoff, M., & Dinse, H. R.
    Clin Interv Aging, 7, 499–507
  • Cognitive and tactile factors affecting human haptic performance in later life
    Kalisch, T., Kattenstroth, J. C., Kowalewski, R., Tegenthoff, M., & Dinse, H. R.
    PLoS ONE, 7(1), e30420
  • Long-term sensory stimulation therapy improves hand function and restores cortical responsiveness in patients with chronic cerebral lesions. Three single case studies
    Kattenstroth, J. C., Kalisch, T., Peters, S., Tegenthoff, M., & Dinse, H. R.
    Front Hum Neurosci, 6, 244
  • Improved acuity and dexterity but unchanged touch and pain thresholds following repetitive sensory stimulation of the fingers
    Kowalewski, R., Kattenstroth, J. C., Kalisch, T., & Dinse, H. R.
    Neural Plast., 2012, 974504
  • 2011

  • An rTMS study into self-face recognition using video-morphing technique
    Heinisch, C., Dinse, H. R., Tegenthoff, M., Juckel, G., & Brune, M.
    Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci, 6(4), 442–449
  • Improvement and impairment of visually guided behavior through LTP- and LTD-like exposure-based visual learning
    Beste, C., Wascher, E., Gunturkun, O., & Dinse, H. R.
    Curr. Biol., 21(10), 876–882
  • Brain Plasticity and Touch
    Dinse, H. R.
    In M. J. Hertenstein & Weiss, S. J. (Eds.), The Handbook of Touch: neuroscience, behavioral, and health perspectives (pp. 85–120) New York : Springer
  • Sensory stimulation for augmenting perception, sensorimotor behaviour and cognition
    Dinse, H. R., Kattenstroth, J. C., Gatica Tossi, M. A., Tegenthoff, M., & Kalisch, T.
    In H. Markram & Segev, I. (Eds.), Augmenting Cognition (pp. 11–39) Lausanne : EPFL Press
  • Plastizität, motorisches Lernen und sensible Stimulation
    Dinse, H. R., Kattenstroth, J. C., Tegenthoff, M., & Kalisch, T.
    In C. Dettmers & Stephan, K. M. (Eds.), Motorische Therapie nach Schlaganfall (pp. 17–43) : Hippocampus
  • Human umbilical cord blood cells restore brain damage induced changes in rat somatosensory cortex
    Geissler, M., Dinse, H. R., Neuhoff, S., Kreikemeier, K., & Meier, C.
    PLoS ONE, 6(6), e20194
  • Striatal functional connectivity networks are modulated by fMRI resting state conditions
    Gopinath, K., Ringe, W., Goyal, A., Carter, K., Dinse, H. R., Haley, R., & Briggs, R.
    Neuroimage, 54(1), 380–388
  • Rapid assessment of age-related differences in standing balance
    Kalisch, T., Kattenstroth, J. C., Noth, S., Tegenthoff, M., & Dinse, H. R.
    J Aging Res, 2011, 160490
  • Questionnaire-based evaluation of everyday competence in older adults
    Kalisch, T., Richter, J., Lenz, M., Kattenstroth, J. C., Kolankowska, I., Tegenthoff, M., & Dinse, H. R.
    Clin Interv Aging, 6, 37–46
  • Balance, sensorimotor, and cognitive performance in long-year expert senior ballroom dancers
    Kattenstroth, J. C., Kalisch, T., Kolankowska, I., & Dinse, H. R.
    J Aging Res, 2011, 176709
  • 2010

  • Effects of aging on paired-pulse behavior of rat somatosensory cortical neurons
    David-Jurgens, M., & Dinse, H. R.
    Cereb. Cortex, 20(5), 1208–1216
  • Repetitive electric stimulation elicits enduring improvement of sensorimotor performance in seniors
    Kalisch, T., Tegenthoff, M., & Dinse, H. R.
    Neural Plast., 2010, 690531
  • Superior sensory, motor, and cognitive performance in elderly individuals with multi-year dancing activities
    Kattenstroth, J. C., Kolankowska, I., Kalisch, T., & Dinse, H. R.
    Front Aging Neurosci, 2,
  • 2009

  • Receptive field plasticity of area 17 visual cortical neurons of adult rats
    Leonhardt, R., & Dinse, H. R.
    Exp Brain Res, 199(3-4), 401–410
  • Effects of repetitive electrical stimulation to treat sensory loss in persons poststroke
    Smith, P. S., Dinse, H. R., Kalisch, T., Johnson, M., & Walker-Batson, D.
    Arch Phys Med Rehabil, 90(12), 2108–2111
  • Visual paired-pulse stimulation reveals enhanced visual cortex excitability in migraineurs
    Hoffken, O., Stude, P., Lenz, M., Bach, M., Dinse, H. R., & Tegenthoff, M.
    Eur. J. Neurosci., 30(4), 714–720
  • Impaired tactile acuity in old age is accompanied by enlarged hand representations in somatosensory cortex
    Kalisch, T., Ragert, P., Schwenkreis, P., Dinse, H. R., & Tegenthoff, M.
    Cereb. Cortex, 19(7), 1530–1538
  • Immobilization impairs tactile perception and shrinks somatosensory cortical maps
    Lissek, S., Wilimzig, C., Stude, P., Pleger, B., Kalisch, T., Maier, C., et al.
    Curr. Biol., 19(10), 837–842
  • Gehirne begreifen und erfassen: Tasten – der unterschätzte Sinn
    Dinse, H. R.
    In R. Rosenzweig (Ed.), Nicht wahr?! - Sinneskanäle, Hirnwindungen und Grenzen der Wahrnehmung (pp. 133–164) : mentis Verlag
  • Ageing and Touch
    Dinse, H. R., Tegenthoff, M., Heinisch, C., & Kalisch, T.
    In B. Goldstein (Ed.), The Sage Encyclopedia of Perception (pp. 21–24) : Sage
  • A map of periodicity orthogonal to frequency representation in the cat auditory cortex
    Langner, G., Dinse, H. R., & Godde, B.
    Front Integr Neurosci, 3, 27
  • 2008

  • Excitation and inhibition jointly regulate cortical reorganization in adult rats
    Benali, A., Weiler, E., Benali, Y., Dinse, H. R., & Eysel, U. T.
    J. Neurosci., 28(47), 12284–12293
  • Homeostatic metaplasticity in the human somatosensory cortex
    Bliem, B., Muller-Dahlhaus, J. F., Dinse, H. R., & Ziemann, U.
    J Cogn Neurosci, 20(8), 1517–1528
  • Paired-pulse behavior of visually evoked potentials recorded in human visual cortex using patterned paired-pulse stimulation
    Hoffken, O., Grehl, T., Dinse, H. R., Tegenthoff, M., & Bach, M.
    Exp Brain Res, 188(3), 427–435
  • Differential effects of aging on fore- and hindpaw maps of rat somatosensory cortex
    David-Jurgens, M., Churs, L., Berkefeld, T., Zepka, R. F., & Dinse, H. R.
    PLoS ONE, 3(10), e3399
  • Haptic Banknote Design
    Dinse, H. R.
    In M. Grunwald (Ed.), Human Haptic Perception - Basics and Applications (pp. 537–547) : Birkhäuser
  • Learning in Haptic Perception
    Dinse, H. R., Wilimzig, C., & Kalisch, T.
    In M. Grunwald (Ed.), Human Haptic Perception - Basics and Applications (pp. 165–182) : Birkhäuser
  • Improvement of sensorimotor functions in old age by passive sensory stimulation
    Kalisch, T., Tegenthoff, M., & Dinse, H. R.
    Clin Interv Aging, 3(4), 673–690
  • Improvement of tactile perception and enhancement of cortical excitability through intermittent theta burst rTMS over human primary somatosensory cortex
    Ragert, P., Franzkowiak, S., Schwenkreis, P., Tegenthoff, M., & Dinse, H. R.
    Exp Brain Res, 184(1), 1–11
  • Differential effects of tactile high- and low-frequency stimulation on tactile discrimination in human subjects
    Ragert, P., Kalisch, T., Bliem, B., Franzkowiak, S., & Dinse, H. R.
    BMC Neurosci, 9, 9
  • 2007

  • Assessment of sensorimotor cortical representation asymmetries and motor skills in violin players
    Schwenkreis, P., El Tom, S., Ragert, P., Pleger, B., Tegenthoff, M., & Dinse, H. R.
    Eur. J. Neurosci., 26(11), 3291–3302
  • Sustained increase of somatosensory cortex excitability by tactile coactivation studied by paired median nerve stimulation in humans correlates with perceptual gain
    Hoffken, O., Veit, M., Knossalla, F., Lissek, S., Bliem, B., Ragert, P., et al.
    J. Physiol. (Lond.), 584(Pt 2), 463–471
  • Dopaminergic influences on changes in human tactile acuity induced by tactile coactivation
    Bliem, B., Frombach, E., Ragert, P., Knossalla, F., Woitalla, D., Tegenthoff, M., & Dinse, H. R.
    Exp Brain Res, 181(1), 131–137
  • Increased functional connectivity is crucial for learning novel muscle synergies
    McNamara, A., Tegenthoff, M., Dinse, H., Buchel, C., Binkofski, F., & Ragert, P.
    Neuroimage, 35(3), 1211–1218
  • A common framework for perceptual learning
    Seitz, A. R., & Dinse, H. R.
    Curr. Opin. Neurobiol., 17(2), 148–153
  • Somatosensorik
    Dinse, H. R., Ragert, P., & Tegenthoff, M.
    In H. Siebner & Ziemann, U. (Eds.), Das TMS-Buch. Transkranielle Magnetstimulation (pp. 439–448) Heidelberg : Springer
  • Differential effects of synchronous and asynchronous multifinger coactivation on human tactile performance
    Kalisch, T., Tegenthoff, M., & Dinse, H. R.
    BMC Neurosci, 8, 58
  • 2006

  • Patterns of cortical reorganization parallel impaired tactile discrimination and pain intensity in complex regional pain syndrome
    Pleger, B., Ragert, P., Schwenkreis, P., Forster, A. F., Wilimzig, C., Dinse, H., et al.
    Neuroimage, 32(2), 503–510
  • Tactile coactivation resets age-related decline of human tactile discrimination
    Dinse, H. R., Kleibel, N., Kalisch, T., Ragert, P., Wilimzig, C., & Tegenthoff, M.
    Ann. Neurol., 60(1), 88–94
  • Spastic paresis after perinatal brain damage in rats is reduced by human cord blood mononuclear cells
    Meier, C., Middelanis, J., Wasielewski, B., Neuhoff, S., Roth-Haerer, A., Gantert, M., et al.
    Pediatr. Res., 59(2), 244–249
  • Cortical reorganization in the aging brain
    Dinse, H. R.
    Prog. Brain Res., 157, 57–80
  • Age-related attenuation of dominant hand superiority
    Kalisch, T., Wilimzig, C., Kleibel, N., Tegenthoff, M., & Dinse, H. R.
    PLoS ONE, 1, e90
  • 2005

  • Improvement of tactile discrimination performance and enlargement of cortical somatosensory maps after 5 Hz rTMS
    Tegenthoff, M., Ragert, P., Pleger, B., Schwenkreis, P., Forster, A. F., Nicolas, V., & Dinse, H. R.
    PLoS Biol., 3(11), e362
  • 2004

  • Shorter latencies for motion trajectories than for flashes in population responses of cat primary visual cortex
    Jancke, D., Erlhagen, W., Schöner, G., & Dinse, H. R.
    The Journal of Physiology, 556(3), 971–982
  • Superior tactile performance and learning in professional pianists: evidence for meta-plasticity in musicians
    Ragert, P., Schmidt, A., Altenmuller, E., & Dinse, H. R.
    Eur. J. Neurosci., 19(2), 473–478
  • 2003

  • Functional imaging of perceptual learning in human primary and secondary somatosensory cortex
    Pleger, B., Foerster, A. F., Ragert, P., Dinse, H. R., Schwenkreis, P., Malin, J. P., et al.
    Neuron, 40(3), 643–653
  • Pharmacological modulation of perceptual learning and associated cortical reorganization
    Dinse, H. R., Ragert, P., Pleger, B., Schwenkreis, P., & Tegenthoff, M.
    Science, 301(5629), 91–94
  • 2002

  • Age-related changes in primary somatosensory cortex of rats: evidence for parallel degenerative and plastic-adaptive processes
    Godde, B., Berkefeld, T., David-Jurgens, M., & Dinse, H. R.
    Neurosci Biobehav Rev, 26(7), 743–752
  • Aging of the brain, sensorimotor, and cognitive processes
    Li, S. C., & Dinse, H. R.
    Neurosci Biobehav Rev, 26(7), 729–732
  • Plasticity of orientation preference maps in the visual cortex of adult cats
    Godde, B., Leonhardt, R., Cords, S. M., & Dinse, H. R.
    Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A., 99(9), 6352–6357
  • Plastic-adaptive properties of cortical areas
    Dinse, H. R., & Böhmer, G.
    In A. Schüz & Miller, R. (Eds.), Cortical Areas: Unity and Diversity: Conceptual Advances in Brain Research (pp. 311–348) London : Taylor & Francis
  • Adaptation of Inputs in the Somatosensory System
    Dinse, H. R., & Merzenich, M. M.
    In M. Fahle & Poggio, T. (Eds.), Perceptual Learning (pp. 19–42) : MIT Press
  • Do primary sensory areas play homologous roles in different sensory modalities?
    Dinse, H. R., & Schreiner, C. E.
    In A. Schüz & Miller, R. (Eds.), Cortical Areas: Unity and Diversity: Conceptual Advances in Brain Research (pp. 273–310) London : Taylor & Francis
  • 2001

  • Shifts in cortical representations predict human discrimination improvement
    Pleger, B., Dinse, H. R., Ragert, P., Schwenkreis, P., Malin, J. P., & Tegenthoff, M.
    Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A., 98(21), 12255–12260
  • Chapter 10: Comparative population analysis of cortical representations in parametric spaces of visual field and skin : a unifying role for nonlinear interactions as a basis for active information processing across modalities
    Dinse, H. R., & Jancke, D.
    In M. A. L. Nicolelis (Ed.), Advances in neural population coding (pp. 155–173) Elsevier
  • Comparative population analysis of cortical representations in parametric spaces of visual field and skin: A unifying role for nonlinear interactions as a basis for active information processing across modalities
    Dinse, H. R., & Jancke, D.
    Progress in brain research, 130, 155–173
  • Time-variant processing in V1: From microscopic (single cell) to mesoscopic (population) levels
    Dinse, H. R., & Jancke, D.
    Trends in neurosciences, 24(4), 203–205
  • 1999

  • Parametric population representation of retinal location: Neuronal interaction dynamics in cat primary visual cortex
    Jancke, D., Erlhagen, W., Dinse, H. R., Akhavan, A. C., Giese, M., Steinhage, A., & Schöner, G.
    J Neurosci, 19(20), 9016–9028
  • 1996

  • Population coding in cat visual cortex reveals nonlinear interactions as predicted by a neural field model
    Jancke, D., Akhavan, A. C., Erlhagen, W., Giese, M., Steinhage, A., Schöner, G., & Dinse, H. R.
    In Artificial Neural Networks — ICANN 96 (pp. 641–648) Springer Berlin Heidelberg

The Institut für Neuroinformatik (INI) is a central research unit of the Ruhr-Universität Bochum. We aim to understand the fundamental principles through which organisms generate behavior and cognition while linked to their environments through sensory systems and while acting in those environments through effector systems. Inspired by our insights into such natural cognitive systems, we seek new solutions to problems of information processing in artificial cognitive systems. We draw from a variety of disciplines that include experimental approaches from psychology and neurophysiology as well as theoretical approaches from physics, mathematics, electrical engineering and applied computer science, in particular machine learning, artificial intelligence, and computer vision.

Universitätsstr. 150, Building NB, Room 3/32
D-44801 Bochum, Germany

Tel: (+49) 234 32-28967
Fax: (+49) 234 32-14210