Center for Cognitive Science

N-CODE (Neuro-COgnitive DEvelopment across the life span)


N-CODE (Neuro-COgnitive DEvelopment across the life span) is an interdisciplinary research initiative hosted jointly at RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau that explores the neural and cognitive foundations of human development from early life through aging. N-CODE integrates cutting-edge neuroscience, behavioral science, cognitive modeling, and engineering approaches to understand how cognition emerges, changes, and can be supported across the entire lifespan.

Our collaboration combines strengths in experimental psychology, cognitive neuroscience, psycholinguistics, and advanced technical methodologies such as EEG, eye tracking, fMRT, virtual reality, and machine learning to investigate core processes in executive functions, memory, learning, and language.

 

About N-CODE


Vision

Human cognition is dynamic, multifaceted, and unfolds across a lifetime influenced by biological, experiential, and environmental factors. N-CODE’s mission is to generate foundational knowledge about cognitive development and decline and to bridge disciplines in addressing these complex processes.

Approach

N-CODE is methodologically anchored in:

  • Neuroscience — leveraging EEG, eye tracking, and new functional MRI capacities in collaboration with regional clinical partners to highlight neural mechanisms in cognition.
  • Cognitive Science — investigating executive control, memory and learning, and language (including psycholinguistics and literacy) with behavioral, computational, and neural measures.
  • Engineering Integration — incorporating VR environments, AI, and machine learning to design ecologically valid studies and enhance data interpretation.
     
Lifespan Focus

Our research spans typical developmental trajectories from infancy to older adulthood, including facets of cognitive aging, degenerative processes, resilience factors, and interventions to support cognitive health.

 

Research Profile
  

Neuroscientific Methods

N-CODE emphasizes multimodal neuroscience methods to capture detailed understanding of brain-behavior relationships. EEG and eye tracking provide temporal precision in cognitive processing, while novel fMRT capacity enables spatial resolution of functional networks in collaboration with the Westpfalzklinikum. These approaches generate data critical for unifying cognitive models across timescales and populations.

 

Cognitive Domains

Our core cognitive research is organized around three interlinked domains:

  • Executive Functions
    Studies on inhibition, flexibility, working memory, and cognitive control using experimental and modeling paradigms.
  • Memory & Learning
    Mechanisms of encoding, consolidation, retrieval, and adaptive learning across different contexts and modalities.
  • Language
    From early language acquisition to adult language processing, including bilingualism, psycholinguistics, and written language development.

 

Engineering & Computational Tools

Advanced methodological tools such as VR, AI, and machine learning support complex experimental designs and enrich analyses. These technologies allow precise simulation of environments and individual differences, advancing our capacity to model cognitive mechanisms in realistic settings.

 

Life Span Development

N-CODE’s developmental lens encompasses normative growth trajectories, age-related decline, protective factors, and mechanisms of cognitive reserve. Integration of longitudinal and cross-sectional designs offers comprehensive insights into how cognition evolves over time

 

Team

Sprecher (Lead)
 
Stellvertretende Sprecherin (Deputy Lead)
 
Principal Investigators
 
Honorary Professors
 
Engineering & Technical Partners