Alejandro Blenkmann

Alejandro Blenkmann

@ablenkmann.bsky.social

Neuroscientist | PI of AudioPred at @UniOslo-RITMO.bsky.social Studying predictive processing & developing intracranial EEG methods Personal page: https://bit.ly/aBlenkmann #cognition #iEEG #SEEG #perception #attention #neuroscience #predictiveprocessing

200 followers290 following42 posts

Alejandro Blenkmann reposted

I am recruiting a postdoctoral researcher and a PhD student, funded by a new ERC grant. The grant focuses on the role of the hippocampus in visual perception, using 7T fMRI (hippocampal subfields, cortical layers) and MEG+iEEG. The intended start dates for both positions are in early 2027. 🧠🟦 1/3

Attention reshapes the representation of prediction errors. •Distraction reduces prediction-error information in the thalamus. • Instead, temporal-cortical responses reveal two distinct learning trajectories. Very happy to have contributed to this exciting work led by Juho Äijälä! #iEEG

Andres Canales-Johnson@canalesjohnson.bsky.social

Happy to share our new pre-print "Attention reshapes the information dynamics of thalamic and cortical prediction-error learning" led by the great Juho Äijälä, Thread below👇

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In contrast, hippocampal responses were sparse during passive listening, with little feature specificity aside from a weak and late frequency effect. The hippocampus may become more strongly engaged when sounds carry contextual, associative, or relational significance (see doi.org/10.1038/s415...)

doi.orgDirect brain recordings reveal implicit encoding of structure in random auditory streams - Scientific ReportsScientific Reports - Direct brain recordings reveal implicit encoding of structure in random auditory streams

Case-level recordings from Heschl’s gyrus and posterior insula revealed striking heterogeneity: early gap-specific responses, later frequency and intensity effects, intensity selectivity, and late spatial processing with contralateral enhancement.

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Participants passively heard standard sounds interleaved with changes in timing, frequency, intensity, and location. We analyzed 98 units: 48 in amygdala, 46 in hippocampus, plus case-level recordings from Heschl’s gyrus and posterior insula.

Key finding: amygdala neurons showed a multiphasic response to deviance. Timing changes produced the earliest and strongest effect (suppression) at ~60 ms, followed by enhancement around 200 ms. Intensity changes produced later suppression around 300 ms.

Why does this matter? MMN is one of the best-studied signatures of auditory prediction error, yet direct evidence from individual human neurons remains exceptionally scarce. Our study helps to bridge human electrophysiology, animal neurophysiology, and predictive-processing theory.

Alejandro Blenkmann@ablenkmann.bsky.social

We’re hosting a hybrid symposium on Neurophysiological mechanisms supporting attention and prediction. 📅 11 June 2026, 09:00–14:00 ECT 📍 Psychology Department, University of Oslo + online www.uio.no/ritmo/englis... All welcome! @unioslo-ritmo.bsky.social @uio.no

We’re hosting a hybrid symposium on Neurophysiological mechanisms supporting attention and prediction. 📅 11 June 2026, 09:00–14:00 ECT 📍 Psychology Department, University of Oslo + online www.uio.no/ritmo/englis... All welcome! @unioslo-ritmo.bsky.social @uio.no

uio.noNeurophysiological mechanisms supporting attention and prediction - RITMO Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies in Rhythm, Time and MotionRITMO/CTNC hybrid symposium June 11th 2026

Very important results highlighting the hippocampus's role in deviance detection and learning. Congratulations to the authors for the great work!

Ben Hayden@benhayden.bsky.social

New paper from the lab! "Plasticity and language in the anaesthetized human hippocampus" www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Really nice experience being interviewed on hyperscanning together with Anne-Kristin Solbakk and Sigurd Alnes by Elise Kjørstad. When we measure brain activity from multiple people at once, the brains synchronize. 🔗 www.forskning.no/hjerneforskn... @unioslo-ritmo.bsky.social @uio.no

forskning.noNår forskere måler hjerneaktiviteten til flere samtidig, skjer det noe rart– Plutselig ser man at det skjer ting mellom mennesker som man ikke kan se, sier forsker.

Alejandro Blenkmann reposted

Applications for the summer school Mathematical Methods in Computational Neuroscience are open! In collaboration with @kavlintnu.bsky.social, lectures and seminars in Norway will cover important methods in computational neuroscience research. #KavliNeuro Apply by Mar. 15 and share: compneuronrsn.org

compneuronrsn.orgMathematical Methods in Computational NeuroscienceSummer school in Eresfjord, Norway (July 8th - 26th, 2024)
Soledad Gonzalo Cogno@soledad-gcogno.bsky.social

Applications are now open for the summer school: 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐌𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐝𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐮𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐍𝐞𝐮𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 🧠 Apply before March 15: www.compneuronrsn.org 📍 Located in beautiful Eresfjord 🇳🇴 🗓️ Between July 6-24 Supported by the @kavlifoundation.org In collaboration with @kavlintnu.bsky.social

❗Our dear Olga will defend her Phd thesis this Friday! You are welcome to join physically or online 🙂

UiO - RITMO@unioslo-ritmo.bsky.social

Olgerta Asko will have her disputation this Friday, January 9, starting with trial lecture at 10:15 CET, followed by public defence at 12:15. Read more about it here: www.uio.no/ritmo/englis...

Alejandro Blenkmann reposted

🚨 Join me for a hands-on #iElectrodes tutorial at #PracticalMEEG! 📍 Online • 🗓 Thursday, Oct 30 • 14:00–17:00 CET 💐 Free but mandatory registration Learn how to localize intracranial #iEEG #SEEG #ECoG electrodes — and explore many other great toolboxes!

CuttingEEG@cuttingeeg.bsky.social

#PracticalMEEG2025 is coming up soon |Oct 28–30| and we’re full! But good news: lectures will be accessible online for FREE! Join the Toolbox Bouquet on Oct. 30th to explore the latest cutting-edge toolboxes in M/EEG analysis. 💐Free but mandatory registration 👇 docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

Excellent work by @dquiroga.bsky.social! Happy to be part of this great collaboration exploring how the brain manipulates thoughts through music 🎶 #Neuroscience #MusicScience #CognitiveNeuroscience #iEEG

What happens in the brain when we manipulate our thoughts? We asked 30 epilepsy patients to mentally invert short melodies. Intracerebral #iEEG recordings suggest brain synchrony and sensory inhibition are key for mental manipulation: doi.org/10.1101/2025... #neuroskyence #musicscience

🚨 Join me for a hands-on #iElectrodes tutorial at #PracticalMEEG! 📍 Online • 🗓 Thursday, Oct 30 • 14:00–17:00 CET Learn how to localize intracranial electrodes — and explore many other great toolboxes: cuttingeeg.org/practicalmee... #iEEG #ECoG #SEEG

cuttingeeg.orgBouquet | PracticalMEEG2025
CuttingEEG@cuttingeeg.bsky.social

🚨Registration for #PracticalMEEG 2025 in Aix-en-Provence (Oct 28–31) is NOW OPEN!🚨 Pick how you want to join: 👩‍💻 Regular participant 🎓 TrainEER (teaching assistant) 🌸 Toolbox Bouquet Florist (online) 🚀Spots go VERY fast—register ASAP! 👉 cuttingeeg.org/practicalmee...

🤔How does the human brain predict unexpected sounds? Our new study shows that the prefrontal cortex doesn’t work as a single unit. Instead, the orbitofrontal and lateral prefrontal cortex make distinct, time-sensitive contributions. #iEEG #BrainLesion #OFC #LPFC doi.org/10.1101/2025...

doi.orgPredictive encoding of auditory sequences in the human prefrontal cortexHumans extract regularities from the environment to form expectations that guide perception and optimize behavior. Although the prefrontal cortex (PFC) is central to this process, the relative contrib...
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👩‍🔬👨‍🔬 Together, these results provide electrophysiological and causal evidence that the human prefrontal cortex predicts future sounds through distinct, time-ordered roles of OFC and LPFC. Read the full preprint here 👉 doi.org/10.1101/2025...

doi.orgPredictive encoding of auditory sequences in the human prefrontal cortexHumans extract regularities from the environment to form expectations that guide perception and optimize behavior. Although the prefrontal cortex (PFC) is central to this process, the relative contrib...

🤔How does the human brain predict unexpected sounds? Our new study shows that the prefrontal cortex doesn’t work as a single unit. Instead, the orbitofrontal and lateral prefrontal cortex make distinct, time-sensitive contributions. #iEEG #BrainLesion #OFC #LPFC doi.org/10.1101/2025...

doi.orgPredictive encoding of auditory sequences in the human prefrontal cortexHumans extract regularities from the environment to form expectations that guide perception and optimize behavior. Although the prefrontal cortex (PFC) is central to this process, the relative contrib...
View full thread

Lesion evidence indicates distinct roles: 🧠 Orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) damage abolishes sensitivity to expectancy. 🧠 Lateral prefrontal cortex (LPFC) damage shows only modest, non-significant effects compared to controls. (Shown using #CNV #ERP that tracks anticipation) #BrainLesion #Prediction

Intracranial EEG shows expectancy modulations in the prefrontal cortex: 🧠 OFC earlier 🧠 LPFC later (This was measured via high-frequency activity, a marker of local brain activity) Connectivity analyses reveal bidirectional exchange, with the first lead by OFC. #iEEG #PredictiveProcessing #HFA

🤔How does the human brain predict unexpected sounds? Our new study shows that the prefrontal cortex doesn’t work as a single unit. Instead, the orbitofrontal and lateral prefrontal cortex make distinct, time-sensitive contributions. #iEEG #BrainLesion #OFC #LPFC doi.org/10.1101/2025...

doi.orgPredictive encoding of auditory sequences in the human prefrontal cortexHumans extract regularities from the environment to form expectations that guide perception and optimize behavior. Although the prefrontal cortex (PFC) is central to this process, the relative contrib...

In an auditory local–global deviance detection task, we found that the brain tracks sound regularities to anticipate when a rare deviant sequence will occur. ⚡ Participants detected deviants faster when they were expected. #PredictiveProcessing

Alejandro Blenkmann reposted

Job alert 🚨 Fully funded PhD position available in our Maastricht lab! Are you interested in predictive processing, individual differences, and computational modelling of behavioural and neural data? Please apply! #NeuroJobs vacancies.maastrichtuniversity.nl/job/Maastric...

vacancies.maastrichtuniversity.nlPhD Candidate: cognitive computational neuroscience of individual differencesPhD Candidate: cognitive computational neuroscience of individual differences

Alejandro Blenkmann reposted

Alejandro Blenkmann reposted

Alejandro Blenkmann reposted

Evidence in support of the "Brain from the inside out": Response to movies is dominated by intrinsic brain dynamics. The dynamic itself is barely alternatered by the task of watching movies. Human intracranial recordings from 5000 electrodes, now out in eLife. elifesciences.org/reviewed-pre...

Alejandro Blenkmann reposted

PhD position alert!!! Together with @predictivebrain.bsky.social and Sonja Kotz we are looking for a PhD candidate to join a great project on the biological foundations of perceptual decisions vacancies.maastrichtuniversity.nl/job/Maastric... Happy to answer any question you may have!

vacancies.maastrichtuniversity.nlPhD position in biological foundations of neural controlPhD position in biological foundations of neural control

Alejandro Blenkmann reposted

🚨PhD position alert!🚨 Joint PhD position with @fedemar.bsky.social @predictivebrain.bsky.social and Sonja Kotz, to investigate the neurobiological underpinnings of perceptual decisions vacancies.maastrichtuniversity.nl/job/Maastric... Please share and if you have questions, send me a message!

vacancies.maastrichtuniversity.nlPhD position in biological foundations of neural controlPhD position in biological foundations of neural control

Don't miss the chance to apply to work with Andres. He is a great researcher in the field of predictive processing, working with #iEEG across humans and non-human primates

Andres Canales-Johnson@canalesjohnson.bsky.social

I am opening one PhD position at the Neuroscience Center @uhneuro.bsky.social, focusing on large-scale neural interactions in perception and prediction (ECoG/LFPs/MEG) across human and non-human primates using comp. modeling and information theory. contact: www.helsinki.fi/en/hilife-he...

Alejandro Blenkmann reposted

🚨 New preprint! 🚨 Can humans learn sensory regularities that are irrelevant to ongoing behavior? Yes, and we reveal the predictive coding mechanisms behind their acquisition Our results support uncertainty minimization over environmental state transitions as a core objective of brain function 🧵👇

Alejandro Blenkmann reposted