Alison Lane, PhD

Cognitive Neuroscience Research Unit (CNRU),

Wolfson Research Institute,

Durham University Queen’s Campus,

University Boulevard,

Stockton-on-Tees,

TS17 6BH

+44 (0)191 3340443

a.r.lane@durham.ac.uk

Research Interests:

MPj04387460000[1] My current research investigates the neural mechanisms of visual attention and perception. Specifically I am examining the involvement of areas such as the posterior parietal cortex and frontal eye fields in the processing of visual search tasks, and how these areas interact with one another. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is the main tool that I am employing in these investigations, allowing me to examine the active involvement of particular brain areas in a task, and the timing of their involvement.

I am also interested in clinical neuropsychology, specifically the rehabilitation of visual problems which occur as a consequence of brain damage such as homonymous visual field defects. I have conducted research to examine the role of attention in the rehabilitation for patients with visual field problems and would also like to examine the use of prisms as a compensatory tool for such individuals.

Funding:

The Dr Hadwen Trust is the UK's leading medical research charity funding exclusively non-animal techniques to replace animal experiments, benefiting humans and animals. (http://www.drhadwentrust.org/).

Publications:

Smith, D.T., Lane, A.R.,& Schenk, T. (2008) Arm position does not attenuate visual loss in patients with homonymous field deficits. Neuropsychologia, 46, 2320-25.

Lane, A.R., Smith, D.T., & Schenk, T. (2008).Clinical treatment options for patients with homonymous visual field defects. Clinical Ophthalmology, 2 (1), 93-102.

Ellison, A., Lane, A. R. & Schenk, T. (2007) The interaction of brain regions during visual search processing as revealed by transcranial magnetic stimulation. Cerebral Cortex, 17, 2579-84.

Collaborations:

Dr. Amanda Ellison

Dr. Thomas Schenk

Dr. Daniel Smith

Dr. Lina Aimola