Mark D’Esposito, MD
Carol Heller BrainHealth Project Co-Leader
Dr. Mark D’Esposito investigates the neural mechanisms underlying working memory, cognitive control and frontal lobe function utilizing different convergent experimental approaches such as functional MRI, transcranial magnetic stimulation, pharmacological interventions, and behavioral studies of healthy individuals and those with neurological disorders.
Dr. D'Esposito has been the principal investigator on numerous NIH, private foundation and VA-funded grants. He has authored over 400 research publications, which have been cited over 70,000 times, as well as seven books on the topics of behavioral neurology and cognitive neuroscience.
Top-Down Modulation of Visual Processing: Converging fMRI and ERP Evidence
This study investigates the ability filter out distracting information during a working memory task. Findings suggest a heavier load on working memory impairs one’s ability to filter out distracting information.
Impulsive Personality Predicts Dopamine-Dependent Changes in Fronto-Striatal Activity during Component Processes of Working Memory
This study presents a key link between dopamine function, impulsivity and fronto-striatal activity during component processes of working memory.
Hierarchical Cognitive Control Deficits Following Damage to the Human Frontal Lobe
This was the first study to provide causal evidence for a rostral-caudal hierarchical organization of the frontal lobes.
Training of Goal-Directed Attention Regulation Enhances Control Over Neural Processing for Individuals With Brain Injury
Evidence from this study suggests that participation in a goal-directed training program may underlie improvements in attention and executive control.
Focal Brain Lesions Cause Widespread Disruption of the Modular Organization of the Brain
Suggesting focal brain damage can produce widespread, nonlocal impacts on brain network organization, this study contributes to growing literature proposing the function of individual brain regions cannot be considered in isolation.
The brain is widely assumed to be a modular system. In this talk, Dr. Mark D'Esposito discusses a series of empirical findings from fMRI studies that begin to elucidate the neural architecture of modular processing by showing that brain modules execute discrete processes and connector hubs are likely integrating and sending information across modules in support of goal-directed cognition.
Mark D’Esposito is a behavioral neurologist, which means that he is expert in diagnosing and understanding how different types of brain damage can affect behavior and cognition. Here, we’re witness to how the melding of this centuries-old tradition with cutting-edge mathematical theory provides insight into why the consequences of a stroke or other insult to the brain can depend more on where the damage is located than on how large an area is affected.
Get an introduction to the latest scientific findings on addiction's effect on the brain in this incisive talk with UC Berkeley professor Mark. D'Esposito. Understand how certain circuits in the brain that normally guide goal-directed behavior are malfunctioning in the throes of addiction.
Contact Info
despo@berkeley.edu