Students of the Bioelectric Interfaces Center presented their research at the Cognitive Science in Moscow conference

On June 26, at the annual Cognitive Science in Moscow conference, young researchers from the HSE Center for Bioelectric Interfaces presented two reports on the role of interoceptive signals in perceptual learning and the modulation of motor cortical excitability.

1. "Interoceptive signals as modulators of the learning process: a study of the role of visceral cues" was presented by E. K. Potapkina and D. D. Babakova. The work is aimed at studying whether the synchronization of visual stimuli with the phases of the cardiac cycle (systole/diastole) can affect the effectiveness of perceptual learning.
2. "Methodology for assessing the effect of interoceptive signals on the excitability of the motor cortex" — was presented by I. A. Mikhailova, M. I. Nikolaeva, F. A. Tarasenko, A. A. Ilyin. The authors have developed an experimental technique to study how focusing on one's own body (in particular, the perception of one's face) affects motor excitability depending on the phase of the cardiac cycle. During the preliminary testing, a tendency was recorded to decrease the amplitude of motor evoked potentials when perceiving one's own face, which may indicate a modulating effect of interoceptive focus of attention.