Researchers from Üsküdar Üniversitesi and NPİSTANBUL Hastanesi, led by Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, shared their current research and findings on computational neuroscience applications at the “EEG and Clinical Neuroscience Society (ECNS) 2024 Congress” held in Toronto, Canada, between October 15-18, 2024. Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan's big data-focused studies conducted at the university garnered significant attention.
At the congress, Prof. Dr. Barış Metin, Neurology Specialist at NPİSTANBUL Hastanesi, was presented with the "Presidential Award" by the ECNS (EEG and Clinical Neuroscience Society).
Vice Rector Prof. Dr. Türker Tekin Ergüzel stated that they are working on a multi-modal intelligent prediction architecture, supporting emotion classification studies with voice data.
NPİSTANBUL Hastanesi Psychiatry Specialist Asst. Prof. Dr. Elvan Çiftçi explained the diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis processes in computational neuropsychiatric clinical applications through computational EEG analysis and MRI studies.
Researchers from Üsküdar Üniversitesi and NPİSTANBUL Hastanesi, led by Üsküdar Üniversitesi Founding Rector and Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, shared their current research and findings on computational neuroscience applications at the “EEG and Clinical Neuroscience Society (ECNS) 2024 Congress” held in Toronto, Canada, between October 15-18, 2024.
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan Explained the Chronological Development of Computational Neuroscience
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan discussed the transformation process of computational neuroscience into today's neuromorphic computer technologies, starting from the Blue Brain project. In his presentation at the congress, where he shared the chronological development, transformation, and next-generation research, he highlighted the fundamental discoveries and inventions of Dr. Geoffrey Hinton, the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics laureate and considered the "godfather" of artificial intelligence, which enabled machine learning with artificial neural networks, and his contributions to current AI studies.
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan gratefully mentioned Geoffrey Hinton's work, which used statistical physics tools in 1983-1985 to create the Boltzmann machine, capable of learning to recognize characteristic elements in a set of data, thereby making significant contributions to image-focused big data analysis. Prof. Dr. Tarhan shared the big data-focused studies carried out at the university in this field, which drew the attention of the congress participants.
Award from ECNS to Prof. Dr. Barış Metin
At the congress, NPİSTANBUL Hastanesi Neurology Specialist Prof. Dr. Barış Metin, who also shared the studies conducted at NPİSTANBUL Hastanesi, provided information on artificial intelligence and big data-focused research with his presentation titled "Deep Learning in Psychiatry".
In his presentation, Prof. Dr. Metin stated that two of the top 5 most-read research articles in 2023 in the Clinical EEG and Neuroscience journal, indexed in the Scopus database and ranked in the Q2 quartile, were big data analysis studies by Üsküdar Üniversitesi researchers. He emphasized the importance of the university's leading position in this field. Prof. Dr. Barış Metin also announced that brain imaging and artificial intelligence studies will continue within Üsküdar Üniversitesi.
Prof. Dr. Barış Metin was presented with the "Presidential Award" by the ECNS (EEG and Clinical Neuroscience Society).
"Facial Emotion Recognition" Presentation from Prof. Dr. Ergüzel…
Üsküdar Üniversitesi Vice Rector Prof. Dr. Türker Tekin Ergüzel stated that they are taking next-generation big data studies into a different area in neuroimaging with their facial emotion recognition study titled “Facial Emotion Recognition,” and provided the following information about the study:
“Facial Emotion Recognition (FER) studies involve big data analysis and modeling architectures to detect and classify human emotions based on facial expressions. These studies typically use computer vision, machine learning, and deep learning algorithms to analyze facial features such as eyes, eyebrows, mouth, and nose. FER systems can detect a range of emotions such as happiness, sadness, anger, surprise, fear, and disgust by identifying patterns in facial muscle movements. FER applications are widespread, from healthcare (e.g., diagnosing mental health conditions) and education (e.g., understanding student engagement) to marketing (e.g., gauging customer reactions) and security (e.g., identifying potentially threatening behaviors).”
However, Prof. Dr. Türker Tekin Ergüzel stated that FER systems face challenges such as differences in facial expressions across cultures, occlusions (e.g., glasses or beards), and ethical concerns related to privacy. He added that they are working on a multi-modal intelligent prediction architecture by supporting emotion classification studies with voice data.
MRI Study to Facilitate Differentiation of Bipolar and Schizophrenia Patients Shared
Üsküdar Üniversitesi NPİSTANBUL Hastanesi Psychiatry Specialist Asst. Prof. Dr. Elvan Çiftçi, in her presentation, discussed the diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis processes in computational neuropsychiatric clinical applications using computational EEG analysis and MRI studies. She shared an MRI study and deep learning techniques aimed at facilitating the differentiation of bipolar and schizophrenia patients.
Asst. Prof. Dr. Elvan Çiftçi also shared the results of studies related to adult-type attention deficit hyperactivity disorder patients and the critical findings of a research article where they identified EEG and clinical parameters that could differentiate patients with OCD who might respond to Deep Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS).
What Does the “EEG and Clinical Neuroscience Society (ECNS)” Do?
The “EEG and Clinical Neuroscience Society (ECNS),” which prioritizes the clinical applications of EEG professionally, scientifically, and economically, supports studies using new methods to evaluate brain functions such as SPECT, PET, and functional MRI, along with researchers in the fields of quantitative EEG (QEEG) – a newer field in addition to classical EEG – evoked potentials, polysomnography (sleep EEG), and peripheral neurophysiology, through its regularly published journal “Clinical EEG and Neuroscience.”