Persone | Istituto di Scienze e Tecnologie della Cognizione

Laura Barca

Email:

laura.barca@istc.cnr.it

Telephone:

+ 39 06 44595312

Fax:

+ 39 06 44595243

Indirizzo:

Via San Martino della Battaglia 44 - 00185 Rome - Italy

Resume:

cvlb_nov2018eng_topics2.doc

Personal website:

https://sites.google.com/site/laurabarcahomepage/

Group membership:

- Gruppo privato -

Additional details

Profilo

Posizione:

Ricercatore

I am a researcher at the ISTC-CNR of Rome. I got a degree in Psychology and a PhD in Clinical and Developmental Psychology at the University of Rome 'La Sapienza', and a specialization in Cognitive-Behavioural Psychotherapy.

My scientific interests are placed within the fields of Cognitive and Developmental Psychology, Cognitive Neuroscience, Computational Psychiatry. Specifically:

predictive brain, emotion and interoceptive inference,
sensorimotor influences on (abstract and emotional) concepts acquisition and representation,
the neuronal basis of visual word recognition,
behavioral measures of written language processing in normal and impaired populations,
cognitive profiles and rehabilitation of children with developmental and acquired deficits.

My website: https://sites.google.com/site/laurabarcahomepage/

Tags:

Cognitive Processes, Cognitive Neuroscience, Visual Word Recognition,

Ricerca

My areas of research are:

I recently get interested inPredictive Coding models of the brain in the framework of emotional processing and psychopathological conditions. I am interested in developing models that include multiple, hierarchically arranged brain-body variables (e.g., sensory, physiological, interoceptive), and study quantitatively how these variables interact over time; how they are dynamically weighted; if a specific variable or dynamical state of the system might work as a 'marker' of psychopathological conditions (e.g., anxiety disorders) that could be possibly used for screening and prevention; and if ways of restoring the correct system dynamics can be found to be used as treatments.

the neuronal basis of visual word recognition. Within the Marie Curie network RTN:LAB I used Magnetoenchephalography (MEG) to investigate the spatiotemporal evolution of cortical activity during the processing of words presented left or right from a central fixation, developing new methods for the acquisition and analysis of neuromagnetic signals (e.g., beamforming and virtual electrodes). Results highlight the role, within the left hemisphere, oftop-down influences from motor-articulatory regions to visual-recognition areas. I'm actually exploring the impact of auditory deprivation on word recognition, using Diffusion Tensor Imaging and coregistration of functional MRI signal and Electroencephalography (WoRHD project, funded within the Marie CurieReintegration Grant schema).
the interplay between perception-cognition-action. In a series of experiments within Goal-Leaders project, we are measuring healthy adults' hand movements toward one of two items alternatives, and recording the streaming x, y coordinates of the computer mouse (i.e., a kinematic measure) during categorization tasks. Results show that decision-making and action execution are not separate cognitive stages. Rather, we observe dynamic competition between different processing levels, where partially activated representations (for the decision alternatives) continuously interact into a single categorization outcome. The use of an action-dynamics approach allowed to visualize the link between cognitive processes and hand movements, with mouse trajectories mirroring online mental processing.
behavioral measures of written language processing in normal and impaired populations. I consider visual word recognition a primer phenomenon to study high level cognitive processes and how they interact with sensorymotor processes. To this end, within the W-READ lab we use behavioral experimental paradigms (i.e., Visual Single Word Recognition and Visual Lexical Decision) to study language processes in participants with different expertise (adult and children) and different proficiency (typical readers, acquired/developmental dyslexia).
cognitive profiles and rehabilitation of children with developmental and acquired deficits. Within the field of Developmental Neuropsychology I'm studying how does deficits in sensory-motor domains occurring at different developmental stages affect cognitive processes.

Progetti

GOAL-Leaders: Goal-directed, Adaptive Builder Robots

Project Funding:

FP - European Framework Programmes

Project Timeframe:

da 28 Feb 2011 a 27 Feb 2014

ISTC Contact Person:

Giovanni Pezzulo

Group & ISTC Labs:

Goal-Oriented Agents Lab

Pubblicazioni

Articolo

2018

Abstract concepts, language and sociality: from acquisition to inner speech

Borghi, Anna M., Barca, Laura, Binkofski, Ferdinand, Tummolini, Luca

Sorgente: Philosophical transactions - Royal Society. Biological sciences (Print) 373 (2018). doi:10.1098/rstb.2017.0134, info:cnr-pdr/source/autori:Borghi, Anna M.; Barca, Laura; Binkofski, Ferdinand; Tummolini, Luca/titolo:Abstract concepts, language and sociality: from acquisition to inner speech/doi:10.1098/rstb.2017.0134/rivista:Philosophical transactions - Royal Societ

Increased heart rate after exercise facilitates the processing of fearful but not disgusted faces

Pezzulo, G., Iodice, P., Barca, L., Chausse, P., Monceau, S., Mermillod, M.

Sorgente: Scientific reports (Nature Publishing Group) 8 (2018). doi:10.1038/s41598-017-18761-5, info:cnr-pdr/source/autori:Pezzulo, G.; Iodice, P.; Barca, L.; Chausse, P.; Monceau, S.; Mermillod, M.; Mermillod, M.; Mermillod, M./titolo:Increased heart rate after exercise facilitates the processing of fearful but not disgusted faces/doi:10.1038/s4159

Varieties of abstract concepts: development, use and representation in the brain

Anna M. Borghi1, 2, Laura Barca2, Ferdinand Binkofski3, Luca Tummolini2

Sorgente: Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences (2018). doi:10.1098/rstb.2017.0121, info:cnr-pdr/source/autori:Anna M. Borghi1,2, Laura Barca2, Ferdinand Binkofski3 and Luca Tummolini2/titolo:Varieties of abstract concepts: development, use and representation in the brain/doi:10.1098/rstb.2017.0121/rivista:Philosophical transactions of t

2017

Dynamic lexical decisions in French: Evidence for a feedback inconsistency effect

Barca, Laura, Pezzulo, Giovanni, Ouellet, Marc, Ferrand, Ludovic

Sorgente: Acta psychologica 180 (2017): 23–32. doi:10.1016/j.actpsy.2017.08.005, info:cnr-pdr/source/autori:Barca, Laura; Pezzulo, Giovanni; Ouellet, Marc; Ouellet, Marc; Ouellet, Marc; Ferrand, Ludovic/titolo:Dynamic lexical decisions in French: Evidence for a feedback inconsistency effect/doi:10.1016/j.actpsy.2017.08.005/rivista:Act

Fatigue increases the perception of future effort during decision making

Iodice, Pierpaolo, Calluso, Cinzia, Barca, Laura, Bertollo, Maurizio, Ripari, Patrizio, Pezzulo, Giovanni

Sorgente: Psychology of sport and exercise (Print) 33 (2017): 150–160. doi:10.1016/j.psychsport.2017.08.013, info:cnr-pdr/source/autori:Iodice, Pierpaolo; Calluso, Cinzia; Barca, Laura; Bertollo, Maurizio; Ripari, Patrizio; Pezzulo, Giovanni/titolo:Fatigue increases the perception of future effort during decision making/doi:10.1016/j.psychsport.2017.08.013/rivis

Pacifier overuse and conceptual relations of abstract and emotional concepts

Barca, Laura, Mazzuca, Claudia, Borghi, Anna M.

Sorgente: Frontiers in Psychology 8 (2017). doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2017.02014, info:cnr-pdr/source/autori:Barca, Laura; Mazzuca, Claudia; Borghi, Anna M.; Borghi, Anna M.; Borghi, Anna M./titolo:Pacifier overuse and conceptual relations of abstract and emotional concepts/doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2017.02014/rivista:Frontiers in Psychology/a

2016

Differential effects of visual uncertainty and contextual guidance on perceptual decisions: Evidence from eye and mouse tracking in visual search

Quetard, Boris, Quinton, Jean Charles, Mermillod, Martial, Barca, Laura, Pezzulo, Giovanni, Colomb, Michele, Izaute, Marie

Sorgente: Journal of vision (Charlottesville, Va.) 16 (2016). doi:10.1167/16.11.28, info:cnr-pdr/source/autori:Quetard, Boris; Quinton, Jean Charles; Mermillod, Martial; Barca, Laura; Pezzulo, Giovanni; Colomb, Michele; Izaute, Marie/titolo:Differential effects of visual uncertainty and contextual guidance on perceptual decisions: Eviden

Tracking and Simulating Dynamics of Implicit Stereotypes: A Situated Social Cognition Perspective

Smeding A., Quinton J.-C., Lauer K., Barca L., Pezzulo G.

Sorgente: Journal of personality and social psychology (2016). doi:10.1037/pspa0000063, info:cnr-pdr/source/autori:Smeding A.; Quinton J.-C.; Lauer K.; Barca L.; Pezzulo G./titolo:Tracking and Simulating Dynamics of Implicit Stereotypes: A Situated Social Cognition Perspective/doi:10.1037/pspa0000063/rivista:Journal of personality and social

2015

Active inference and cognitive-emotional interactions in the brain

Pezzulo, Giovanni, Barca, Laura, Friston, Karl J.

Sorgente: Behavioral and brain sciences (Print) 38 (2015). doi:10.1017/S0140525X14001009, info:cnr-pdr/source/autori:Pezzulo, Giovanni; Barca, Laura; Friston, Karl J./titolo:Active inference and cognitive-emotional interactions in the brain/doi:10.1017/S0140525X14001009/rivista:Behavioral and brain sciences (Print)/anno:2015/pagina_da:/pagina_

Combined effects of expectations and visual uncertainty upon detection and identification of a target in the fog

Quétard, Boris, Quinton, Jean Charles, Colomb, Michèle, Pezzulo, Giovanni, Barca, Laura, Izaute, Marie, Appadoo, Owen Kevin, Mermillod, Martial

Sorgente: Cognitive processing (Print) 16 (2015): 343–348. doi:10.1007/s10339-015-0673-1, info:cnr-pdr/source/autori:Quétard, Boris; Quétard, Boris; Quinton, Jean Charles; Quinton, Jean Charles; Colomb, Michèle; Pezzulo, Giovanni; Barca, Laura; Izaute, Marie; Izaute, Marie; Appadoo, Owen Kevin; Mermillod, Martial; Mermillod, Martial; Mermillod

The effects of phonological similarity on the semantic categorisation of pictorial and lexical stimuli: evidence from continuous behavioural measures

Barca, Laura, Benedetti, Filippo, Pezzulo, Giovanni

Sorgente: Journal of cognitive psychology (Print) (2015). doi:10.1080/20445911.2015.1101117, info:cnr-pdr/source/autori:Barca, Laura; Benedetti, Filippo; Pezzulo, Giovanni/titolo:The effects of phonological similarity on the semantic categorisation of pictorial and lexical stimuli: evidence from continuous behavioural measures/doi:10.1080/2044591

Tracking Second Thoughts: Continuous and Discrete Revision Processes during Visual Lexical Decision

Laura Barca, Giovanni Pezzulo

Sorgente: PLoS One (2015). doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0116193, info:cnr-pdr/source/autori:Laura Barca, Giovanni Pezzulo/titolo:Tracking Second Thoughts: Continuous and Discrete Revision Processes during Visual Lexical Decision/doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0116193/rivista:PLoS One/anno:2015/pagina_da:/pagina_a:/intervallo

2014

How do you hold your mouse? Tracking the compatibility effect between hand posture and stimulus size

Flumini, Andrea, Barca, Laura, Borghi, Anna Maria, Pezzulo, Giovanni

Sorgente: Psychological research (Print) (2014). doi:10.1007/s00426-014-0622-0, info:cnr-pdr/source/autori:Flumini, Andrea; Barca, Laura; Borghi, Anna Maria; Pezzulo, Giovanni/titolo:How do you hold your mouse? Tracking the compatibility effect between hand posture and stimulus size/doi:10.1007/s00426-014-0622-0/rivista:Psychological

Interactions between visual and semantic processing during object recognition revealed by modulatory effects of age of acquisition

Urooj, Uzma, Cornelissen, Piers L., Simpson, Michael I. G., Wheat, Katherine L., Woods, Will, Barca, Laura, Ellis, Andrew W.

Sorgente: NeuroImage (Orlando Fla., Print) 87 (2014): 252–264. doi:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2013.10.058, info:cnr-pdr/source/autori:Urooj, Uzma; Cornelissen, Piers L.; Simpson, Michael I. G.; Wheat, Katherine L.; Woods, Will; Barca, Laura; Ellis, Andrew W./titolo:Interactions between visual and semantic processing during object recognition revealed by modula

The Cat Is On the Mat. Or Is It a Dog? Dynamic Competition in Perceptual Decision Making

Quinton, Jean-Charles, Volpi, Nicola Catenacci, Barca, Laura, Pezzulo, Giovanni

Sorgente: IEEE transactions on systems, man, and cybernetics 44 (2014): 539–551. doi:10.1109/TSMC.2013.2279664, info:cnr-pdr/source/autori:Quinton, Jean-Charles; Volpi, Nicola Catenacci; Barca, Laura; Pezzulo, Giovanni/titolo:The Cat Is On the Mat. Or Is It a Dog? Dynamic Competition in Perceptual Decision Making/doi:10.1109/TSMC.2013.2279664/rivista:IEEE transacti