Aaaand we have our final line-up for ESI-SyNC 2025! Check it out! :)
Join us for two exciting days of figuring out what altered states of consciousness do to your brain!
More info:
esi-frankfurt.de/newevent/
Go register (100 Euro, free for junior researchers):
survey.academiccloud.de/index.php/18...

What shifts in our brain when our consciousness shifts? On Sept 8-9, we will explore this question at ESI-SyNC 2025 - with exciting talks, posters and discussions on the neural dynamics of altered consciousness, from psychedelics to breathwork, near-death experiences and meditation.
(1/2)

The one clear difference we found between species? Monkeys stick to each face state more consistently, while mice bounce around between states more often and more randomly. (6/7)

This relation held on a single-trial level: Just by looking at their faces, we could predict reliably if mice and monkeys were going to succeed in the upcoming trial - and how fast they would do so (5/7)

Over time, different facial features were most predictive, forming alternating ‘face states’. Amazingly, these face states mapped neatly onto trial success, even though the model didn’t know trial outcomes! In short: Facial expressions track cognitive performance states (4/7)

We then analysed their facial expressions pre-trial to predict their reaction speed per trial. First things first: it worked! Facial expressions predicted upcoming reaction times - in monkeys and in mice! (3/7)

The way we process the world keeps spontaneously shifting - from focused, to daydreaming, to hasty, and so on. How do such spontaneous cognitive shifts operate across species? To find out, we let mice and monkeys play the same immersive VR foraging task. (2/7)

Reviewer 2 really has us blushing (and slightly bragging ;) ) on this one! 🙏 If you want to check out the MOST WELL-WRITTEN AND WELL-VIDEOGRAPHED protocol on chronic electrode implants in mice, head over here:
app.jove.com/t/66867/the-...

@3dneuro.bsky.social @openbehavior.bsky.social

So excited that our first preprint on breathwork is out! The TLDR: Breathwork opens up very similar states of consciousness as psychedelics, and CO2 levels are a major player in making that happen! Read all about it here:
osf.io/preprints/ps...
Or here:
www.researchsquare.com/article/rs-3...

This meeting has been really, really special - what an inspiration. Can't wait for the next one!