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Silvio Ionta
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Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience
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MISSION
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Research Interests
• Mental Imagery
• Body Representation
• Self-Other distinction
• Imitation
• Empathy
• Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI)
Publications
Ionta S, Heydrich L, Lenggenhager B, Mouthon M, Fornari E, Chapuis D, Gassert R, Blanke O (2011). Multisensory mechanisms in temporo-parietal cortex support self-location and first-person perspective. Neuron 70: 363-374.
a. Spotlight on Cognition | Acquiring Self-Location and a First-Person Perspective: Aglioti SM and Candidi M (2011). Out-of-Place Bodies, Out-of-Body Selves. Neuron 70: 173-175.
Ionta S, Gassert R, Blanke O (2011). Multi-Sensory and Sensorimotor foundation
of Bodily Self-Consciousness – an interdisciplinary approach. Front. Psychology 2:383. doi:10.3389/ fpsyg.2011.00383.
Duenas J, Chapuis D, Pfeiffer C, Martuzzi R, Ionta S, Blanke O, Gassert R (2011). Neuroscience robotics to investigate multisensory integration and bodily awareness. Conf Proc IEEE Eng Med Biol Soc, 2011, 8348-8352.
Blanke O, Ionta S, Fornari E, Mohr C, Maeder P (2010). Mental imagery for full and upper human bodies: common right hemisphere activations and distinct extrastriate activations. Brain Topogr 23: 321-332.
Abate M, Carlo LD, Romualdo SD, Ionta S, Ferretti A, Romani GL, Merla A (2010). Postural adjustment in experimental leg length difference evaluated by means of thermal infrared imaging. Physiol Meas 31: 35-43.
Ionta S, Ferretti A, Merla A, Tartaro A, Romani GL (2010). Step-by-step: the effects of physical practice on the neural correlates of locomotion imagery revealed by fMRI. Hum Brain Mapp 31: 694-702.
Ionta S, Fourkas AD, Aglioti SM (2010). Egocentric and object-based transformations in the laterality judgement of human and animal faces and of non-corporeal objects. Behav Brain Res 207: 452-457.
Ionta S, Blanke O (2009). Differential influence of hands posture on mental rotation of hands and feet in left and right handers. Exp Brain Res 195: 207-217.
Arzy S, Collette S, Ionta S, Fornari E, Blanke O (2009). Subjective mental time: the functional architecture of projecting the self to past and future. Eur J Neurosci 30: 2009-2017.
Candidi M, Urgesi C, Ionta S, Aglioti SM (2008). Virtual lesion of ventral premotor cortex impairs visual perception of biomechanically possible but not impossible actions. Soc Neurosci 3: 388-400.
Urgesi C, Candidi M, Ionta S, Aglioti SM (2007). Representation of body identity and body actions in extrastriate body area and ventral premotor cortex. Nat Neurosci 10: 30-31.
Ionta S, Fourkas AD, Fiorio M, Aglioti SM (2007). The influence of hands posture on mental rotation of hands and feet. Exp Brain Res 183: 1-7.
Fiorio M, Tinazzi M, Ionta S, Fiaschi A, Moretto G, Edwards MJ, Bhatia KP, Aglioti SM (2007). Mental rotation of body parts and non-corporeal objects in patients with idiopathic cervical dystonia. Neuropsychologia 45: 2346-2354.
Fourkas AD, Ionta S, Aglioti SM (2006). Influence of imagined posture and imagery modality on corticospinal excitability. Behav Brain Res 168: 190-196.
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BIOGRAPHY
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Research Awards
Winner of the "Poster Presentation Competition” at the Body Representation Workshop, Manchester January 17-18, 2007, United Kingdom
"Young Investigator Award". National Congress of the Italian Association of Psychology (AIP), September 22-24, 2004, Sciacca, Italy
Non-academic Achievements:
Fundation Duques de Soria & PRESENCCIA workshop: “Body consciousness: brain mechanisms of representation of the self and others”. Soria 9th-13th July, 2007, Spain.
PENS-Hertie Winter School: “Brain basis of social interaction: from concepts to imaging”. Kitzbuehel December 10-17, 2006. Austria.
Invited Presentations
"How Motor Imagery can be useful in understanding Motor Representations”, 15th January 2007. Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience (ICN), University College London (UCL), UK.
"Mental Imagery, a tool for the study of Motor Representations”. 18th April 2007, Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience (LNCO), Brain-Mind Institute, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL).
Conferences Presentations
Ionta S, Blanke O. “Differential Influence of Hands Posture on Mental Rotation of Hands and Feet” (poster). Body Representation Workshop, Nottingham, April 09-10, 2008, UK
Ionta S, Fourkas A, Aglioti SM. “Egocentric and object-based frames of reference, in the laterality judgement of body and non body parts” (poster). Body Representation Workshop, Rovereto, October 08-10, 2007, Italy
Ionta S, Galati G, Ferretti A, Romani GL, Aglioti SM. (2007). “Modulation of neural responses related to empathy for pain in different models” (poster). Body Representation Workshop, Manchester January 17-18, 2007, United Kingdom.
Ionta S, Ferretti A., Romani G.L., (2006). “Short Term Cerebral Variations related to Transient Postural Disorders: a fMRI-ECG study” (poster). 12th Annual Meeting of the Organization for Human Brain Mapping, June 11th – 15th, 2006. Florence, Italy.
Ionta S, Ferretti A., Romani G.L., (2006). “An fMRI study of Short Term Cerebral Variations related to Postural Disorders” (poster). Cognitive Neuroscience Societies Meeting, April 8 th -11 th, San Francisco, USA.
Ionta S, Mingoia G, Romani GL, (2005) “Mechanisms underlying Gaze direction processing in Autism: proposal of a fMRI and MEG combined study of Social Cognition” (poster). The Symposium in Human Brain Development, May 25 th - 26 th, 2005, Unitas Conference Center, Helsinki, Finland.
Ionta S., (2004). “Rotazione Mentale di Parti Corporee ed Extra-Corporee, in relazione a Postura e Prospettiva Immaginativa” (poster). Congresso Nazionale dell’Associazione Italiana di Psicologia. Sciacca 18 th - 20 th sett. 2004, Italy.
Ionta S., Fiorio M., Aglioti S.M., (2003). “Rotazione Mentale di Parti Corporee in relazione a Postura e Prospettiva Immaginativa” (poster). Congresso Nazionale Associazione Italiana di Psicologia, sezione Sperimentale, Bari 22-24 Sept. 2003, Italy.
Teaching Experience
“What MEG is and How it works”, supporting lecture, Neuropsychology, Faculty of Psychology 1, University of Rome “La Sapienza”.
Research Activity
PhD student at the Institute of Advanced Bio-Medical Technologies, Dept. of Clinical Sciences and Bioimaging, University of Pescara-Chieti “G. D’Annunzio, directed by prof. G.L. Romani. Mainly involved in testing healthy people and evaluating results. Proficient in a range of several computer applications and good potential for acquiring news. Able to work on own initiative and as a part of a team, with problem solving abilities. Dedicated to producing high quality results of clinical relevance.
Scientific collaboration with the Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience, at the Department of Psychology, University of Rome “La Sapienza”, directed by Prof. Salvatore M. Aglioti.
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Scientist