The NYU Department of Psychology has outstanding facilities for research, including multiple modalities for measuring brain activity, manipulation of that activity, and measurement of behavioral responses. Some of these are shared resources with independent staff, such as the Center for Brain Imaging and the MEG facility, while others are in individual research labs. Because we are a department with extensive collaboration among our faculty, students can generally arrange access to equipment required for their research.
Research Facilities
MRI
The Center for Brain Imaging, located on the first floor of the building that houses both the Department of Psychology and the Center for Neural Science, has a Siemens Prisma 3T MRI scanner with 64- and 32-channel-coils, enabling parallel and multiband imaging. The department has the capability of delivering visual (including binocular), auditory and tactile stimuli to subjects while in the scanner. The scanner room has equipment for simultaneous measurement of eye movements, video tracking of limb (e.g., hand) movements, and measurement of other physiological parameters (heart rate, respiration, GSR, etc.).
MEG
The KIT/NYU MEG lab in the Department of Psychology has a 160-channel recumbent Yokogawa MEG system located on the 2nd floor of the building. This facility is equipped to deliver visual and auditory stimuli with simultaneous measurement of eye movements and EOG.
EEG
EEG equipment is available in several individual labs as well as a shared facility in the Center for Brain Imaging. Facilities exist for standard high-density EEG (EGI, 128 channels) as well as EEG equipment adapted to mobile users, including children and toddlers.
TMS
The Center for Brain Imaging has a facility for TMS including a motion-tracker to allow accurate alignment of the TMS magnet to align stimulation with specific brain regions using anatomical images from a previous MRI scan. This facility has equipment that enables TMS with simultaneous EEG recording (64 channel Brain Amp system).
ECoG
Several of our faculty collaborate with members of the NYU School of Medicine, allowing access to patients awaiting surgery for epilepsy. These patients typically remain on the ward for several days with implant surface and deep electrodes, allowing one to measure brain activity (electrocorticography) in human subjects. Collaborations are arranged through the Neurology department in the School of Medicine.
Eye Movement Recording
The recording of eye movements is used in many individual labs as well as in the joint facilities (MRI, MEG). Eye movement equipment is available for use with subjects who are in a head-fixed, remote as well as mobile setup, including unobtrusive eye-tracking for adults as well as mobile eye tracking with children and toddlers. Both the MRI and MEG facilities, as well as many of the individual labs, use EyeLink trackers, although other trackers are used in other faculty laboratories.
Motion Tracking
Several labs have the capability of motion tracking using active infrared, passive video and electromagnetic sensors. Motion trackers are used in combination with virtual visual and haptic stimuli, with measurement of locomotor behavior, and in combination with mobile eye tracking in freely behaving adults and children.
Virtual Reality
Several labs are using virtual-reality headsets (Oculus Rift) to study behavior in immersive environments. In addition, virtual haptic devices are in use to study interactions of vision, touch and proprioception.