-Topic: Metacognition in Patients with Medial Temporal Lobe Epilepsy (MTLE): Before and After Anterior Temporal Lobectomy (ATL)
Epilepsy is a neurological disorder characterized by seizures caused by sudden, abnormal, and excessive electrical discharges in a group of neurons in the brain. Research indicates that many cognitive functions in MTLE patients are negatively affected, particularly episodic memory. However, there are inconsistent findings regarding whether episodic memory impairment is also associated with deficits in metacognitive judgments. The accessibility framework hypothesis, which explains metacognitive skills, suggests that recollective experiences play a crucial role in metacognitive processes. This study includes three participant groups: (1) MTLE patients scheduled for ATL, (2) MTLE patients receiving medication, and (3) healthy individuals. In addition to a neuropsychological test battery administered to epilepsy surgery candidates, participants will complete verbal and visual episodic memory tasks and an associative learning task to assess metacognitive performance.
Project Team: Metehan Irak, Bekir Tuğcu, Cahit Keskinkılıç, Busenur Akbaş, Büşra Bayram, Halime Melisa İpek, Nisa Hacı
-Topic: Examining the Relationships Between Cognitive and Metacognitive Processes in Individuals with Depression, Panic Disorder, and Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Research has shown that individuals diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and depression display not only negative cognitive biases but also deficits in cognitive processes such as memory, attention, processing speed, decision-making, and learning. Models aimed at explaining the cognitive aspect of these disorders focus particularly on the lack of confidence in attention and memory processes and the inconsistency between metacognitive decisions (feeling of knowing, judgement of learning, ease of learning). Although it is known that metacognitive processes are affected by learning strategies and the type of information learned, this interaction has not been adequately addressed when examining the cognitive functioning of psychiatric disorders. In addition, it is not yet clear whether the metacognitive problems seen in disorders are related to the coding, recall, or decision-making process of information, and whether this situation is specific to the disorder or a general feature. This project aims to fill this gap in the literature with the help of neuropsychological tests and computer tasks measuring various metacognitive performances.
Project Team: Metehan Irak, Ramazan Konkan, Ali Rıza Türkmen, Erdem Erol, Hasan Belli, Büşra Bayram, Halime Melisa İpek, Nisa Hacı
-Topic: Comparison of the electrophysiological and neural bases of metacognitive and metamemory decisions measured under implicit and explicit learning/memory tasks
Studies have shown that individuals diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and depression not only exhibit negative cognitive biases but also impairments in cognitive processes such as memory, attention, processing speed, decision-making, and learning. Cognitive models of these disorders particularly emphasize a lack of confidence in attention and memory processes, as well as inconsistencies in metacognitive judgments (e.g., feeling of knowing, judgment of learning, ease of learning). Although it is well-established that metacognitive processes are influenced by learning strategies and the type of information being learned, this interaction has not been adequately explored in psychiatric disorders. Additionally, it remains unclear whether metacognitive deficits in these disorders are related to encoding, recall, or decision-making processes—and whether these deficits are disorder-specific or represent a general cognitive dysfunction. This project aims to address these gaps using neuropsychological tests and computerized tasks designed to measure various metacognitive performances.
Project Team: Metehan Irak, Öznur Çamoğlu, Furkan Özel, Gözde Karacaoğlu, Zeliha Seyidoğlu, İrem Aleyna Demir
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