Experiments with Neuronal Oscillations: What to Expect​
Have you signed your child up to participate in one of our experiments? Are you unsure about what is going to happen, and why? Lost on the way to the lab? This section will outline all the important information to make your family's visit fun and seamless.
Why is this research being done?
It is not a surprising fact that children read less fluently than adults. For most people, the skill of reading fully develops by mid-adolescence. What we still do not know, however, is what exactly drives this development, and what processes are behind the speed of reading in adulthood.
Our research group is called Neuronal Oscillations and, unsurprisingly, this is what we are most interested in. Neurons are the main cells of the nervous system. They function using electric currents. In the brain, these electric currents act in consort and create oscillations - or so-called “brainwaves”. Like a conductor in an orchestra, certain oscillations organise the way we process our environment and react to it.
From our research, we suspect that a certain type of oscillations controls the way our gaze pre-processes the words we read. That is, we begin to think about the next word in a sentence before we have even finished processing the first one. This may be the way we read so fast.
However, we still don’t know a lot. Is this really what drives fluent reading? Does this process only develop later on in life? If so, when exactly does it develop? Can we help children develop this process earlier or better?
These questions are the very reason behind the study we are inviting your family to participate in.
Equipment
In our research, we use devices called OPM-MEG. It stands for Optically-Pumped Magnetometers - Magnetoencephalography. It is a brand new non-invasive technique that can help us see the brain function in real time.
Neurons function using electricity. The electrical current flows from one cell to another, allowing the cells to communicate. That electrical current creates a magnetic field around it. That field fluctuates in its strength according to the electrical currents. OPM-MEG can measure these magnetic fields and therefore tell us about what is going on in the brain.
Another technique we use is called eye-tracking. It comes in a small camera that emits infrared light. It works by finding the darkest spot on your face (usually, the pupil) and tracking its movement. Therefore, we can see even the most subtle eye movements.
All equipment we describe here is non-invasive and safe. There is no ionising radiation involved, and no risk of pain or injury.
What to expect during the experiment
When you arrive, our researchers will greet you outside the building and escort you inside. You will be shown the lab and the equipment that will be used. We will explain everything in an accessible way and will give both you and your child plenty of time to ask questions.
Two researchers will be present at all times due to our health and safety policies.
You will be provided with an information sheet outlining the experimental procedure, data storage policy, etc. We will verbally explain everything to your child as well. After that, you will receive a consent form to sign. We will also take your child’s verbal consent to participate.
The experiment will then begin. Please note that you can withdraw from participating in the study at any point, even after you have signed the consent form.
After the experiment is over, we will start a debriefing procedure. That is, we will explain our research in depth and explain why the experiment was designed in the way that it was. We will also compensate you for your participation at the rate that was stated in the email communication.
How to get here
The study will take place at the Oxford Centre for Human Brain Activity (OHBA) on the Warneford Hospital site in Headington, Oxford. The image to the left of this text is what the front entrance looks like.
The full address is:
Centre for Human Brain Activity (OHBA)
University Department of Psychiatry
Warneford Hospital
Oxford
OX3 7JX
United Kingdom
The main entrance to the hospital is on Roosevelt Drive. Look out for the signs with arrows to OHBA.
Parking is available outside OHBA if booked in advance - please reach out to us if you need this arranged. Alternatively, please use the Pay and Display parking at Warneford Hospital (£1 for a 1.5h stay).
Local bus services are the City 4 and Oxford Brookes Bus U5.
Please visit https://www.win.ox.ac.uk/contact-us/finding-win-ohba for more information.
Are you in the right place, but cannot see one of us greeting you? Please refer back to the email you received from us for the contact details of the researcher.