Associate Professor (Principal Investigator)
Tanja Nijboer
Utrecht University
Department of Experimental Psychology
Helmholtz Institute
Postdocs
Mixed Reality
Affiliation: Postdoctoral Researcher at Brain and Cognition, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium & Copromotor of Eileen Bousché
Investigating the potential of computational modelling, Bayesian statistics in combination with innovative technology for clinical neuropsychological diagnosis during my postdoctoral research. In addition, during my PhD I developed an immersive virtual reality rehabilitation game (i.e., HEMIRehapp) for hemispatial neglect. We plan to evaluate the efficacy and feasibility of this new rehabilitation approach in the next years.
PhD Candidates
Basic mechanisms
Affiliation: Department of Experimental Psychology, Helmholtz Institute, Utrecht University
Background: BSc Psychology, MSc Neuropsychology, MSc Neuroscience & Cognition
How do patients with acquired brain injury employ their visual working memory to efficiently perceive and use visual information? Do conventional neuropsychological tasks tell the whole story or should we move on to novel paradigms? During the course of my PhD I will try to find out whether eye movement behavior can give insights in underlying (working) memory deficits after acquired brain injury, and whether and how this relates to findings on tasks used in standard neuropsychological assessment.
Affiliation: Department of Experimental Psychology, Helmholtz Institute, Utrecht University
Background: BSc. Psychology, MSc. Artificial Intelligence
Uncovering, at any given time, how many items are present in someone’s (visual) working memory is a complex task. I will investigate whether computational cognitive models can give insight into working memory usage based on gaze behaviour – and how experimental manipulations affect this usage of working memory. Additionally, I will investigate whether various patient populations use different working memory strategies as compared to healthy controls, by seeing whether machine learning models can dissociate between the two groups based on gaze behaviour and memory usage.
Affiliation: Department of public health and primary care, Leiden University Medical Center and Zorggroep Florence
Background: BSc Physical Therapy, MSc Neurorehabilitation and innovation, PhD candidate
A Dutch multicenter study to provide more insight into the process of VSN assessment in GR and to provide more insight into the stroke population with VSN during and after GR. The outcomes of the study will improve VSN assessments in GR neurorehabilitation and will ameliorate the insight of problems due to VSN in GR patients.
Mixed Reality
Affiliation: Utrecht University Experimental Psychology
Background: BSc. Psychology, MSc. Neuropsychology
Using Mixed Reality and Serious Gaming techniques to develop new neuropsychological outcome measures. Starting with assessing cognitive performance in children who underwent open heart surgery in early life with a VR Serious Game.
Affiliation: University of Antwerp, Research Group MOVANT (Dept. Rehabilitation Sciences and Physiotherapy)
Background: Physical Therapy
Currently working on two projects. The first one is to evaluate the user-experience and feasibility of wearables (activity trackers) in stroke patients with spatial neglect. The second is to investigate whether patients with spatial neglect are generally more or less active compared to those without.
Affiliation: Department of Experimental Psychology, Helmholtz Institute, Utrecht University
Background: B.Sc. Psychology, M.Sc. Cognition and Psychophysiology
I am a PhD student supervised by Tanja Nijboer and Stefan van der Stigchel. My background lies in cognition and attention, specifically in visual perception. My PhD project revolves around finding an objective measurement for the experience of presence, which is defined as “the feeling of being inside of a virtual environment”. I am interested in how the experience can be quantified and utilized in practical applications and in understanding which factors influence the experience of presence.
Affiliation: Department of Experimental Psychology, Helmholtz Institute, Utrecht University and Geriatrische Revalidatie Zorg, afdeling Onderzoek, Omring, Hoorn, Nederland
Background: Ergotherapeut en Master Digitale Innovatie in Zorg en Welzijn (M.A.)
Applying Augmented Reality(AR) to align treatments better to the needs of neglect patients. SE(AR)CH = Scan your Environment with AR to Create less Hamper in moving.
Affiliation: Utrecht University Experimental Psychology and Wilhelmina Children’s Hospital
Background: Neuropsychology
I am working on the ‘Playing for Cognition’ project (grant Stichting Hartekind), in which I will evaluate the effectiveness and feasibility of a Virtual Reality Serious Game for cognitive training in children with congenital heart disease.
Affiliation: PhD candidate at Utrecht University
Background: MSc Media Communication
Project: Social Media Use across contexts.
We will study parental styles across contexts (e.g. countries, cultures, SES, chronic illness) and its influence on children’s social media use. We will focus on ‘normal’ use of social media mainly, but will also target problematic use and its relation to parental styles and contexts.
Non-invasive Brain Stimulation (NIBS)
Affiliation: PhD candidate at Maastricht University (Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Brain Stimulation and Cognition lab) and Interakt Contour
Background: Health Sciences
I believe that NIBS has the potential to become a powerful therapeutic tool to treat neglect symptoms following stroke. My research projects aim to answer the question whether NIBS, specifically tACS, can be used to correct for the visuospatial attention bias typically seen in neglect patients.
Affiliation: Brain Stimulation and Cognition Group, Maastricht University
Background: Neuropsychology
In my current project we study whether high-definition transcranial electrical stimulation can help improve cognitive rehabilitation outcomes for neglect in subacute stroke patients. In this project we use an interactive digital test- and training programme that recruits the patient’s visuomotor system and provides in-depth insight into training progress.
Research Assistants
Mixed Reality
Affiliation: researcher at Utrecht University
Background: BSc Psychology, MSc Youth Studies
Project: Social Media Use
I am working on the Dynamics of Youth Invigoration Grant PLUS project, in which we aim to identify social media use in families with a chronically ill child.”
Affiliation: research assistant Utrecht University, Experimental Psychology
Background: BSc Psychology, currently MSc Neuropsychology
Project: In close collaboration with the Department of Neonatology at the WKZ we will investigate the feasibility, user-experience and potential added value of a VR Serious Game for cognitive assessment. We focus on children (aged approx 10 years) who were very prematurely born, suffered asphyxia, or stroke.
A second project I’m involved in is targeting return to work in (young) adults who suffered acquired brain injury. In this project, we will use a VR simulation and investigate its potential to better explain, train and coach those young adults on their way to return to work.
Interns
Digitised Neuropsychological Assessment (dNPA)
Affiliation: Master’s Student at Utrecht University
Background: BSc Psychology, currently MSc Neuropsychology
Project: During my traineeship I will investigate the user-friendliness of new modern tasks on an iPad for neglect patients, their occupational therapist and possibly their next of kin. Additionally, I will investigate any differences with a healthy control group.
Affiliation: De Hoogstraat revalidatie
Background: Arts in opleiding tot revalidatiearts
A Dutch multicentre study to provide more information about a patient experience with a neuropsychological assessment.
We developed a survey which contains 3 parts. To get an overall view of the participants the first 6 questionings are based on an often-used survey the EQ6D. This tells us something about a patient’s limitations in mobility, self-care, daily activities, pain, anxiety and cognitive functions.
The middle part of the survey are questions about the Patient experiences. For example; Was the NPA meaningful for you? Are the outcomes helpful in daily life?
The last 3 questions are about innovation of the NPA in the future. These questions can be helpful in the discussion about developing a digital NPA. Which can have pros and cons for patients and professionals.
Affiliation: Master’s student at Utrecht University
Background: MSc Psychology, currently MSc Neuropsychology
CoCo-P is a questionnaire used to detect and measure cognitive complaints in a daily life among the patients with acquired brain injury. As a new intern, I will work on and the first steps of international development of the CoCo-P, translate it into Polish and collect data of first Polish-speaking participants.
Affiliation: Master’s Student at Utrecht University
Background: BA Psychology, currently MSc Neuropsychology
CoCo-P is a questionnaire used for assessing the daily cognitive complaints among patients with Acquired Brain Injury. As a new intern, I will translate the questionnaire into Greek and administer the new version to Cypriot healthy controls and Cypriot patients. Comparisons will then be made between the Cypriot results and existing Dutch data.
Affiliation: Master’s Student at Utrecht University
Background: BSc Psychology – track Neuropsychology, currently MSc Neuropsychology
For my masterthesis I am working together with Iris on a project of Teuni ten Brink. For this project we will try to validate an eye-tracking battery in order to find sensitive biomarkers for frontotemporal dementia.
Affiliation: Master’s Student at Utrecht University
Background: BSc Psychology, currently MSc Neuropsychology
For my masterthesis I am working together with Tessie on the validation of an eye-tracking test battery which later on can be used in frontotemporal dementia patients.
Mixed Reality
Affiliation: Master’s Student at Utrecht University
Background: BSc Psychology, currently MSc Neuropsychology
I am currently involved in a project which aims to evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of Virtual Reality Serious Games as cognitive training for children with congenital heart disease.
Affiliation: Master’s student at Utrecht University
Background: BSc. Psychology, master Neuropsychology
As part of my innovation internship, I am involved in a project that aims to develop new more ecologically valid and predictive neuropsychological outcome measures using a VR Serious Game in children with congenital heart disease.
Affiliation: Master’s student at Utrecht University
Background: BSc Psychology, currently MSc Neuropsychology
I am currently involved in a project that aims to use Virtual Reality and Serious Games in assessing and training cognitive functions in children (aged approximately 10 years) with congenital heart disease and children who were prematurely born, suffered asphyxia or stroke.
Affiliation: Master’s Student at Utrecht University
Background: BSc Psychology, currently MSc Neuropsychology
I am currently involved in a project which aims to apply Augmented Reality (AR) in treatments for neglect patients. By focusing on healthy controls, ‘norms’ for visual search in the AR application can be determined.
Affiliation: Master’s Student at Utrecht University
Background: Neuropsychology
The aim of my study is to assess the performance of a healthy population in a Virtual Reality game called Koji’s Quest. This game is developed to assess and train cognitive skills. I am specifically looking into the influence of cybersickness on performance, as well as its prevalence in a healthy population.
Non-invasive Brain Stimulation (NIBS)
Affiliation: Master’s Student at Utrecht University
Background: BSc Life Science & Technology, currently MSc Neuropsychology
Because of my background in Life Science & Technology, I am fascinated about the potential of applying technological innovations within clinical practice. I am currently investigating the potentially beneficial effect of non-invasive brain stimulation on hemispatial neglect symptoms after stroke in the chronic phase. Within my thesis project I will mainly focus on the generalizability of the training to general daily life activities.
Affiliation: Master’s Student at Utrecht University
Background: Neuropsychology
I am working on a brain stimulation project in patients with neglect.
Alumni
There have been many others participating in this lab. Read more about them on our alumni page.