Our research group investigates relationships between cognitive, socioemotional functions and endogenous sex steroids as well as synthetic substitutes of sex steroids (hormonal contraceptives). We focus on the evaluation of psychophysiological and behavioral parameters. We measure electrical brain activity (EEG, ERP), electrical activity of facial muscles (EMG), cardiovascular activity (ECG, HRV), and eye movements while participants perform tasks related to cognitive functions (mental rotation, verbal functions, etc.), emotions recognition and empathy, functional brain lateralization etc. Saliva serves as the source for determination of the sex steroids using ELISA method.
Methods and equipment:
• EEG recording - 64 channels ASA Lab system;
• EEG analysis – Matlab, EEGLab, Ragu, sLORETA;
• Other physiological measurements - PowerLab data acquisition hardware and LabChart software;
• Stimuli presentation - E-Prime software;
• Quantitative sex steroid hormones (estradiol, progesterone, testosterone) determination in saliva - ELISA assay.
Group members
|
Group leader PhD, Assoc. Prof. Ramunė Grikšienė |
PhD sudent Rimantė Gaižauskaitė
|
PhD sudent Ingrida Zelionkaitė |
|
PhD sudent Ieva Brimienė
|
PhD student Erikas Ilkevič |
MSc student Lina Galdutytė |
|
MSc student Milda Brokevičiūtė |
MSc students:
|
BSc student Eglė Jašinskaitė Vilija Simonaitytė
|
Projects
Rhythms in human body: the search for relationships between brain oscillations and fluctuations of sex hormones
“Rhythms in human body: the search for relationships between brain oscillations and fluctuations of sex hormones”, from the 1st june 2020 to the 15th december, 2020.
Main activities:
- June 2, 2023. Project start meeting, will be organized at Vilnius University, Life Sciences Center and online.
- June 2 - July 3, 2023. Final steps of the study, analysis of behavioral data, assessment of sex hormones in collected samples. Online training „EEG preprocessing and frequency analysis“.
- July 4 – 25, 2023 PhD and Master students visits at University of Münster to learn proposed EEG data analysis methods.
- September 20-22, 2023. Workshop “EEG analysis” will be organized at Vilnius University.
Workshop “EEG data analysis”
20-22 September, 2023
Vilnius University, Life Sciences Center, Sauletekio ave. 7
Program
20th September (Wednesday) Introductions. R402 auditorium
13-13.15 Opening. Coffee/Tea.
13.15 - 14 Lecture. Introduction to EEG. Ramunė Grikšienė, Vilnius University
14-16 Lecture. EEG oscillations. Elena Čėsnaitė, University of Munster
21st September (Thursday) Methods
R201 auditorium
10-11 Lecture. Preprocessing of EEG data. Elena Čėsnaitė, University of Munster
Coffee/Tea Break
11.30 - 13.30 Practicals*:
-
Preprocessing of resting state EEG. Elena Čėsnaitė (University of Munster), Rimantė Gaižauskaitė, Ingrida Zelionkaitė, Vilnius University
-
Analysis of oscillations (periodic, aperiodic activity). Lina Gladutytė, Vilnius University, Elena Čėsnaitė (University of Munster)
Lunch break
R404 auditorium
14.30 -16.00 Lecture and Practical. Automated preprocessing of EEG data. Valdas Noreika, Queen Mary University of London.
Coffee/Tea Break
16.15-18.00 Lecture and Practical. Multivariate source separation. Rasa Gulbinaitė, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Amsterdam.
22nd September (Friday) Applications
R103 auditorium
10-11 Lecture. Mothers-babies EEG hyperscanning. Valdas Noreika, Queen Mary University of London
11-11.30 Lecture. The search for relationships between EEG parameters and female hormonal satus. Ingrida Zelionkaite, Vilnius University.
11.30 - 13 Discussion. Coffee/Tea
Participation in the Workshop is free, but the number of places is limited, and registration is required.
Registration form: https://forms.gle/SVUtAqjNjQbjKs3X9
All participants will receive a certificate of attendance (17 hours).
* Note: if you want to follow the practical part and try the analysis steps together with us - please bring your own laptop!
This project of the Baltic-German University Liaison Office is supported by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) with funds from the Foreign Office of the Federal Republic Germany.
More information about the project: http://www.hochschulkontor.lv/en/projekti/atbalstitie-projekti/rhythms-in-human-body-the-search-for-relationships-between-brain-oscillations-and-fluctuations-of-sex-hormones/
The processing of highly salient and biologically relevant emotional stimuli: gender differences and relationship to sex steroids
"The processing of highly salient and biologically relevant emotional stimuli: gender differences and relationship to sex steroids", from the 1st June 2023 to the 01th November, 2020
In collaboration with colleagues from Tübingen (Germany) and Tartu (Estonia) Universities our group is implementing a project which the main goal is knowledge sharing and collaboration in the area of emotion research and psychoneuroendocrinology between the project partners. Hence, emotion perception and regulation research will take place at the Vilnius University; we will organize project partners’ meetings, emotion research workshops and results presenatation in various conferences including one organized by the Lithuanian Neurocscience Association.
All partners will collaborate to design and conduct a reseach to evaluate how men and women recognize and regulate emotions. For this purpose both subjective and objective (brain imaging) methods will be used. Knowing that sex steroid balance has a signficant effect on emotions, women who use hormonal contraceptives will be one of the focus points.
Collaboration between partners will be maintained both through live meetings and remote work. First results and existing knowledge on the topic will be presented during two events in November 2020 – workshop “Emotion perception and regulation” and the 12th Conference of the Lithuanian Neuroscience Association.
More information about the project: http://www.hochschulkontor.lv/en/projekti/atbalstitie-projekti/the-processing-of-highly-salient-and-biologically-relevant-emotional-stimuli-gender-differences-and-relationship-to-sex-steroids/
UPCOMING EVENTS
5th November, 11 am - 3 pm.
WEBINAR From emotion perception to regulation: workshop on socio-emotional functions.
WHERE. Online (link will be sent to registered e-mail) or in Life science center, Vilnius University, Sauletekio ave. 7, R102. More information abouth this event here.
REGISTRATION to Webinar and/or Public event: https://bit.ly/2GC9mkM
EVENTS
22 – 23 June 2020. Project start meeting, was organized in Vilnius University, Life Sciences Center and online.
Graduates
2021 Graduates- Livija Šarauskytė, Mykolas Gudaitis, Indrė Pretkelytė, Karolina Čižaitė, Karolina Jakštaitė.
|
Indrė Pretkelytė |
Karolina Jakštaitė |
Karolina Čižaitė |
2020 Graduates - Aurelija Putramentaitė, Ričardas Baliutis, dr. Rasa Mončiunkaitė
2019 Graduates- Ernestas Švedas ir Rimantė Gaižauskaitė
2017 m. Graduates: Dorita Bimbirytė, Ieva Lukštatitė, Julijus Motiejūnas, Benedikta Lataitytė
