Brain, Cognition and Language  

Themes of the Research Area

Study of higher intellectual functions

This Top Level Research Area is devoted to the investigation of cognitive functions like attention, apperception, learning, memory, motor function and language.

The aim is to clarify the basic cerebro-organic information of these cognitive processes, to contribute a deeper understanding of associated brain diseases and to develop innovative therapeutic approaches. To do this end the research area combines the activities of numerous university and non-university research institutions in the natural sciences, humanities and social science and medicine.

The academics involved devote themselves across the disciplines to the wide range of aspects contained in the group of topics “Language, brain and cognition”. The interdisciplinary research projects cover a wide methodological area ranging from genetic analyses, acquisition of cell-cell-interactions and analysis of neuronal networks, and reaching as far as to analysis and assessment of behaviour, studies of speech production and speech comprehension, and analysis of the formal structure of language. A specific focus in all these studies is on ontogenetic and phylogenetic aspects of the development and differentiation of the brain. Such a multidimensional approach opens up new realistic chances for a sustainable progress in our endeavour for a better understanding of the methods of operation of the brain.