Antonio PELLICANO

Professor Pellicano conducts research in the fields of cognitive psychology and cognitive neuroscience. His research activity focuses on the cognitive and motor representation of objects and the mechanisms that underlie human interaction with them. Further interests are Mirror Neuron System (MNS) for walking, grounding of language in the motor system-embodied negation, plasticity and connectivity of fronto-striatal brain areas.

Professor Pellicano employes several techniques: behavioural, neuromodulation, and brain imaging. Behavioural techniques include reaction times (RTs) and accuracy in motor performance, body kinematics, physiological measures. Neuromodulation techniques comprise: Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS), and transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS). Brain imaging encompasses functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI), Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS), and Positron Emission Tomography (PET).

Crucially, Professor Pellicano devised combined uses of these techniques to address specific research questions.

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Behavioural research activities are conducted in the laboratory of cognitive psychology: "Laboratoriodieci" established in 2023 in direct continuity with the CCS behavioural Laboratory of RWTH Aachen University https://www.ccs.rwth-aachen.de/index.php/en/research/behavioural-laboratory. The facility is set up for research and teaching purpose.

The facility can be light-attenuated and is equipped with 3-GHz PCs, 17” LCD monitors, and loudspeakers with E-Prime Professional v2.0 (http://www.pstnet.com) software for experiment design, stimulus presentation (visual and auditory), response timing with millisecond temporal precision, and data collection.

A PST response-box is interfaced with the software for button press and voice key response collection. Custom button boxes and foot pedals are also available for specific experimental configurations. Other equipment such as shutter-glasses can be used for tachistoscopic presentation of real objects and visual scenes.

Experimental investigation focuses on basic aspects of cognition and human performance, including:

• Action Selection and Stimulus-Response Compatibility,
• motor representations in objects processing,
• relationships between Simon effect and affordance activation effects.