People

Dr Nicholas Cooper

Senior Lecturer
Department of Psychology
Dr Nicholas Cooper

Profile

Biography

I obtained my BSc (Hons) in Cognitive Science from the University of Westminster before undertaking a PhD at Imperial College, University of London. This was an examination of the functional significance of the human electroencephalogram (EEG) in relation to internally and externally directed attention. I went on to carry out two post-doctoral positions: one at Imperial College London and one at the Alfred Psychiatry Research Centre, Monash University, Melbourne. I am presently a senior lecturer in the Department of Psychology, Academic Director of the Centre for Brain Science and also Secretary for the British Association for Cognitive Neuroscience (http://www.bacn.co.uk/ ). My main research interests lie in the following fields: the functional significance of cortical oscillatory activity (as measured using the EEG); the cumulative effects of stress on ageing cognition; PTSD; nature-based social prescribing; modulation of attention and attentional disorders; the use of neuromodulatory techniques (TMS & tACS) to influence cognition and behaviour and their application as clinical interventions (e.g. for the treatment of depression and anxiety).

Qualifications

  • BSc in Cognitive Science - 1st class honours (University of Westminster)

  • PhD in Psychology as applied to Medicine (University of London)

Appointments

University of Essex

  • Senior Lecturer, Psychology, University of Essex (9/2006 - present)

Research and professional activities

Research interests

Transcranial magnetic simulation (TMS)

Open to supervise

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS)

Open to supervise

Mirror neurons

Open to supervise

Stress & Ageing

Open to supervise

Nature-based socal prescribing

I research the benefits of nature for mental health and wellbeing. I am particularly focused on the use nature-based interventions such as social angling in a tranquil setting in order to alleviate the symptoms of PTSD.

Key words: angling
Open to supervise

Current research

Gauging and Engaging with Stress

My main research interests lie in the following fields: the functional significance of cortical oscillatory activity (as measured using the EEG); the cumulative effects of stress on ageing cognition; PTSD; nature-based social prescribing; modulation of attention and attentional disorders; the use of neuromodulatory techniques (TMS & tACS) to influence cognition and behaviour and their application as clinical interventions (e.g. for the treatment of depression and anxiety).

I have most recently been engaged in various studies investigating EEG and TMS indices of the putative human mirror neuron system and how these measures vary as a function of individual differences in empathy, autistic traits, experience and susceptibility to yawning. I am also involved in projects examining the effects of rTMS and tDCS on oscillatory activity, mood, cognition and behaviour in control and clinical populations. Other interests of mine include the relationship between television editing and childrens attention, the effects of life stress on ageing (in particular, memory performance) and the relationship between human behaviour and the microbiome.

Conferences and presentations

Romei, V., Cooper, N.R., Sauseng, P. & Wolinski, N. (2016). Individual differences in Parietal Theta Frequency Drives Spatial Working Memory Capacity. 6th International Conference on Transcranial Brain Stimulation. Gottingen, Germany. (7-10 September).

Gottingen, Germany, 2016

Russo, R., Wallace, D., Twyman, N. & Fitzgerald, P.B. On the effect of tDCS on risk taking behaviour a study using the balloon analogue risk task. 6th International Conference on Transcranial Brain Stimulation. Gottingen, Germany. (7-10 September).

Gottingen, Germany, 2016

Segrave RA, Thomson C, Pianta B, Thomson RT, Cooper N, Lee S, Chung SW, Arnold S,Fitzgerald PB . (2016). Combining Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation and Neurocognitive Training: The Way of the Future? 8th World Congress of Behavioural and Cognitive Therapies. Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (22-25 June).

Melbourne, Australia, 2016

Amanda C. Marshall, Nicholas R. Cooper & Nicolas Geeraert. (2015). Keep Calm and Age Well? The implications of acute & cumulative stress exposure on human ageing. Annual Scientific Meeting of the British Association for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Essex (10th-11th September).

Colchester, United Kingdom, 2015

Wolinski, N., Cooper, N.R., Sauseng, P. & Romei, V. (2015).

2015

Berntsen, M., Cooper, N.R. & Romei, V. (2015). Stimulating The parietal node of the human mirror neuron system (hMNS). Annual Scientific Meeting of the British Association for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Essex (10th-11th September).

Colchester, United Kingdom, 2015

Russo, R., Wallace, D., Twyman, P., Fitzgerald, P.F. & Cooper, N.R. (2015). On the effect of tDCS on risk taking behaviour: A study using the Balloons Analogue Risk Task. Annual Scientific Meeting of the British Association for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Essex (10th-11th September).

Colchester, United Kingdom, 2015

Southworth, S., Cooper, N.R. & OGorman, R. (2015). Can long-term practise of compassion meditation make a person more empathic? Annual Scientific Meeting of the British Association for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Essex (10th-11th September).

Colchester, United Kingdom, 2015

Berntsen, M., Cooper, N.R. & Romei, V. (2015). Imitation performance subsequent to brain stimulation using tACS. Annual Scientific Meeting of the British Association for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Essex (11th-12th September).

Colchester, United Kingdom, 2015

Wolinski, N., Cooper, N.R., & Romei, V. (2015). Modulation of individual oscillatory frequency-peak by off-peak entrainment. Annual Scientific Meeting of the British Association for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Essex (11th-12th September).

Colchester, United Kingdom, 2015

Clausen, A., Fenner, B., Kennett, S. & Cooper, N.R. (2015). Through the looking glass: An EEG investigation into the proposed social responding function of the human mirror neuron system. Annual Scientific Meeting of the British Association for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Essex (11th-12th September).

Colchester, United Kingdom, 2015

Amanda C. Marshall, Nicholas R. Cooper & Nicolas Geeraert. (2014). The effect of long-term stress exposure on ageing cognition. Annual Scientific Meeting of the British Association for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Essex (11th-12th September).

Colchester, United Kingdom, 2014

Cooper, N.R., Simpson, A., Till, A., Simmons, K. and Puzzo, I. (2013). Beta event-related desynchronization as an index of individual differences in processing human facial express. Annual Scientific Meeting of the British Association for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Nottingham (18th-19th April).

Nottingham, United Kingdom, 2013

Berntsen, M., Cooper, N.R. & Romei, V. (2013). Point-light motion cues of mental states on the human mu rhythm. Annual Scientific Meeting of the British Association for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Nottingham (18th-19th April).

Nottingham, United Kingdom, 2013

Marshall, M. & Cooper, N.R. (2013). The effects of stress on cognitive decline among the aged. Annual Scientific Meeting of the British Association for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Nottingham (18th-19th April).

Nottingham, United Kingdom, 2013

Sarah H. Haigh, Nick Cooper, Vincenzo Romei & Arnold J. Wilkins (2013). Alpha, gamma and haemodynamic responses how are they related? 36th European Conference on Visual Perception. Bremen, Germany (August 25th 29th)

Bremen, Germany, 2013

Sarah H. Haigh, Nick Cooper & Arnold J. Wilkins (2013). The relationship between the alpha response and the hemodynamic response in the visual cortex. Association for Psychological Science convention, Washington DC, USA, (May 23-26, 2013).

Washington D.C., United States, 2013

Haigh, S. M., Karanovic, O., Wilkinson, F., Cooper, N., & Wilkins, A. J. (September 2012). Cortical mechanisms of discomfort in migraine. Poster presented at the European Conference on Visual Perception in Alghero, Sardinia.

Sardinia, Italy, 2012

Haigh, S. M., Karanovic, O., Wilkinson, F., Cooper, N., Wilkins, A. J. (2012). Cortical mechanisms of discomfort in migraine. Perception, 41 (ECVP Abstract Supplement), 152.

2012

Brown T, Jamieson G and Cooper N (2012). Sensori-Motor Rhythm Neurofeedback Increases Fine Motor Skills in Elite Racket Sport Athletes. Front. Hum. Neurosci. Conference Abstract: ACNS-2012 Australasian Cognitive Neuroscience Conference. Nov 29th-Dec 2nd 2012. doi: 10.3389/conf.fnhum.2012.208.00022

Australasian Cognitive Neuroscience Conference, Australia, 2012

Martin, R., Fox, E. and Cooper, N. R. (January 2011) Do personality traits influence the N2pc response to emotional expressions? Presented at the Expert Meeting on Emotional Attention: Bottom-up and Top-down influence of emotion on attention in Ghent, Belgium.

Ghent, Belgium, 2011

Cooper, N.R. (2010). Bridging a yawning chasm: using EEG to explore the contagious yawning debate. Annual Scientific Meeting of the British Association for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of the West of England (1st 3rd September)

Bristol, United Kingdom, 2010

Cooper, N.R. (2010). Examining the hypothesized role of the human mirror neuron system in contagious yawning: EEG investigations. The 1st International Conference on Yawning. Hôpital de la Salpêtrière, Paris (June).

Paris, France, 2010

Cozzolino, P. J., Rentzelas, P., Cooper, N. R., Blackie, L. E. R., Geeraert, N., & Meyers, L. S. (2010). In Pursuit of Existential Liberty: Differential Effects of Mortality Salience and Death Reflection on Desires for Freedom. Annual meeting of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Las Vegas, Nevada (January).

Las Vegas, United States, 2010

Blackie, L. E. R., Cozzolino, P. J., Rentzelas, P., Cooper, N. R., & Perugini, M. (2010). Thinking Differently About Death: A Test of Dual-Existential Systems in the Context of Attention and Perception. Annual meeting of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Las Vegas, Nevada (January).

Las Vegas, United States, 2010

Puzzo, I., Cooper, N.R., Vetter, P. & Russo, R. (2009). Atypical Mirror Neuron System Activity in Normal Individuals with High Traits of Autism? Preliminary EEG and TMS Evidence. British Neuropsychological Society Autumn Meeting. Queens Square, London 2009.

London, United Kingdom, 2009

Cooper, N.R., Uller, C. & Nestler, S. (2009). An Investigation of the Link Between Film Pacing and Attention in Children. Annual Scientific Meeting of the British Association for Cognitive Neuroscience, Institute of Child Health, London (21st 23rd September)

London, United Kingdom, 2009

Puzzo, I., Cooper, N.R., Vetter, P., Russo, R. & Fitzgerald, P.F. (2009). Reduced Cortico-motor Facilitation in a Normal Sample with High Traits of Autism. Magstim TMS Summer School. Institute of Child Health, London (May 29th-30th, 2009).

London, United Kingdom, 2009

Puzzo, I., Cooper, N.R. & Russo, R. (2008). Mirror Neuron System Differences in Neuro-typical Individuals with High and Low Traces of Autism. Annual Scientific Meeting of the British Association for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Wales Swansea, September 1st-3rd .

Swansea, United Kingdom, 2008

Cooper, N.R., Fitzgerald, P.F., Upton, D., Segrave, R.A., Laycock, R., Daskalakis, Z.J., Kulkarni, J. & Croft, R.J. (2005). The Effects of Right Frontal 1Hz rTMS on Event-related Desynchronization of the Human EEG and Implications for the Treatment of Depression. Joint meeting of the Collegium Internationale Neuropsychopharmacologicum and the Australasian Society for Psychiatry Research. Brisbane, Australia, December 7th -9th 2005. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, Vol 39 (supplement, December 2005).

Brisbane, Australia, 2005

Upton, D., Cooper, N.R., Segrave, R.A., Laycock, R., Kulkarni, J., Croft, R.J. & Fitzgerald, P.F. (2005). The Effects of Prefrontal 1Hz rTMS on the EEG During an Auditory Oddball Task: A Pilot Study of Cortical Plasticity in Schizophrenia. Joint meeting of the Collegium Internationale Neuropsychopharmacologicum and the Australasian Society for Psychiatry Research. Brisbane, Australia, December 7th -9th 2005. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, Vol 39 (supplement, December 2005).

Brisbane, Australia, 2005

Cooper, N.R., Croft, R.J., Upton, D., Segrave, R.A., Laycock, R., Daskalakis, Z.J., Kulkarni, J. & Fitzgerald, P.F. (2005). The Effects of Right Frontal 1Hz Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation on Event-related Desynchronization of the Human EEG: Implications for the Treatment of Depression. 15th Australian Society for Psychophysiology Conference, University of Wollongong, December 9th 11th 2005.

Wollongong, Australia, 2005

Upton, D., Cooper, N.R., Segrave, R.A., Laycock, R., Kulkarni, J., Croft, R.J. & Fitzgerald, P.F. (2005). The Effects of Prefrontal 1Hz rTMS on the EEG During an Auditory Oddball Task: A Pilot Study of Cortical Plasticity in Schizophrenia. 15th Australian Society for Psychophysiology Conference, University of Wollongong, December 9th 11th 2005.

Wollongong, Australia, 2005

Burgess, A.P., Cooper, N.R. & Vetter, P. (2004). Conscious freely-willed movements are predicted by changes in Neural Complexity. Annual Scientific Meeting of the British Psychophysiology Society. University of Manchester, 13th 15th September. Journal of Psychophysiology 19(1): 62.

Manchester, United Kingdom, 2004

Vernon, D., Egner, T., Cooper, N., Compton, T., Neilands, C., Sheri, A., & Gruzelier, J. (2004). The effect of distinct neurofeedback training protocols on working memory, mental rotation and attention. The International Society for Neuronal Regualtion, Udine, Italy, February 19th-23rd.

Udine, Italy, 2004

Cooper, N., Sheri, A., Vernon, D., Egner, T., & Gruzelier, J. (2002). The Effect of Alpha Neurofeedback Training on Mental Imagery Abilities. Annual Scientific Meeting of the British Psychophysiology Society, University of Glasgow, September 22nd-25th. Journal of Psychophysiology 17(2): 103.

Glasgow, United Kingdom, 2002

Cooper, N., Burgess, A., Croft, R., & Gruzelier, J. (2002). The rhythm of the minds ear? Investigating The Functional Significance of Alpha Oscillations During Externally versus Internally Directed Auditory Attention. Annual Scientific Meeting of the British Psychophysiology Society, University of Glasgow, September 22nd-25th. Journal of Psychophysiology 17(2): 103.

Glasgow, United Kingdom, 2002

Vernon, D. J., Cooper, N., Egner, T., Compton, T., Neilands, C., Sheri, A., & Gruzelier, J. (2002). The influence of SMR and theta neurofeedback training on working memory performance. Annual Scientific Meeting of the British Psychophysiology Society, University of Glasgow, September 22nd-25th. Abstract in Journal of Psychophysiology 17(2): 109.

Glasgow, United Kingdom, 2002

Vernon, D. J., Cooper, N., Egner, T., Compton, T., Neilands, C., Sheri, A., & Gruzelier, J. (2002). A comparison of Theta, Alpha and SMR Neurofeedback protocols, and their respective influence on Working Memory, Mental Rotation and Attention performance. The British Psychological Society, Cognitive Section, University of Kent, September 9th-11th.

Canterbury, United Kingdom, 2002

Croft RJ, Chandler JS, Barry RJ, Cooper NR, ClarkeAR. (2002). A comparison of four EOG correction methods. Proc. 11th Bi-ann. Meeting International Organization of Psychophysiology. International Journal of Psychophysiology 45(1-2): 76-77.

2002

Croft RJ, Chandler JS, Barry RJ, Cooper NR & Clarke AR. (2002). A comparison of four EOG correction methods. Proc. Joint 12th Australasian Society for Psychophysiology Conference & 6th Australian Functional Brain Mapping Symposium, Sydney. Australian Journal of Psychology 55: 15 (suppl. 2003).

6th Australian Functional Brain Mapping Symposium, Sydney, Australia, 2002

Cooper, N., Croft, R. J., Dominey, S., Burgess, S., & Gruzelier, J. (2001). Investigating the Alpha Component of the Human EEG During Internally and Externally Directed Attention. Annual Scientific Meeting of the British Psychophysiology Society. Aston University, September.

Birmingham, United Kingdom, 2001

Cooper, N., Loveday, C., & Baldwin, M. (1999). The Experience of Time: Measuring the Effect of Colour and Time of Day on Duration Estimation. The British Psychological Society. University of London, December. Proceedings of the British Psychological Society 8(1): Feb 2000

London, United Kingdom, 1999

The effect of off-peak transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) on individual frequency peaks. Annual Scientific Meeting of the British Association for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Essex (10th-11th September).

Published here…

Teaching and supervision

Previous supervision

Guyan Vincent Sloane
Guyan Vincent Sloane
Thesis title: Staying Gutsy During Aging: The Cost of Stress on Attention
Degree subject: Neuropsychology
Degree type: Doctor of Philosophy
Awarded date: 13/3/2024
Kirsten Florence Ramsden
Kirsten Florence Ramsden
Thesis title: '…There’S a Strength Around That Bonfire': Exploring the Potential of Nature-Based Therapy to Enhance Recovery for Victim-Survivors of Domestic Abuse
Degree subject: Health and Physical Activity
Degree type: Doctor of Philosophy
Awarded date: 12/3/2024
David Thomas Goldenhaus
David Thomas Goldenhaus
Thesis title: Piecing It Together: Examining the Processing of Single Features and Feature Bindings in Visual Working Memory
Degree subject: Psychology
Degree type: Doctor of Philosophy
Awarded date: 4/3/2024
Denise Wallace
Denise Wallace
Thesis title: An Investigation Into the Impact of Cumulative Life Stress and Neuromodulation on Adults’ Cognitive Function and Subjective Well-Being.
Degree subject: Psychology
Degree type: Doctor of Philosophy
Awarded date: 20/12/2023
Charlotte Larkman
Charlotte Larkman
Degree subject: Psychology
Degree type: Doctor of Philosophy
Awarded date: 12/4/2023
Rachel Kathryn Marrow
Rachel Kathryn Marrow
Thesis title: Examining the Role of Nature-Based Activities in the Lives of Military Veterans with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Degree subject: Applied Psychology
Degree type: Doctor of Philosophy
Awarded date: 7/12/2022
Jake Jason Bourgaize
Jake Jason Bourgaize
Thesis title: Eyes Bigger Than Your Stomach? A Novel Scaling Task Reveals More Evidence for Attentional Than Action-Specific Effects on the Perceived Size of Food.
Degree subject: Psychology
Degree type: Doctor of Philosophy
Awarded date: 30/8/2022
Claire Lynette Wicks
Claire Lynette Wicks
Thesis title: The Impact of Green Exercise on Mental Ill-Health in Community Populations
Degree subject: Health Studies
Degree type: Doctor of Philosophy
Awarded date: 29/6/2022
Achilleas Pavlou
Achilleas Pavlou
Thesis title: Empirical Investigations of Lucid Dream Induction Methods and Individual Differences in Lucid Dream Frequency
Degree subject: Neuropsychology
Degree type: Doctor of Philosophy
Awarded date: 4/10/2021
Tania Karina Garcia Vite
Tania Karina Garcia Vite
Thesis title: Investigating the Effects of Neuromodulatory Training on Autistic Traits: A Multi-Methods Psychophysiological Study.
Degree subject: Psychology
Degree type: Doctor of Philosophy
Awarded date: 3/11/2020
Peter Leslie Thomas Gooding
Peter Leslie Thomas Gooding
Thesis title: The Association Between Belief in Free Will, Personal Control, and Life Outcomes
Degree subject: Psychology
Degree type: Doctor of Philosophy
Awarded date: 16/7/2020
Stuart Paul Lipscombe
Stuart Paul Lipscombe
Degree subject: Psychology
Degree type: Doctor of Philosophy
Awarded date: 24/4/2020
Benjamin James Fenner
Benjamin James Fenner
Thesis title: Timing the Senses and Sensing the Time: Individual Differences in Subjective Duration
Degree subject: Psychology
Degree type: Doctor of Philosophy
Awarded date: 21/2/2020
Nina Rachael Wolinski
Nina Rachael Wolinski
Thesis title: The Entrainment of Brain Oscillations Through Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation (Tacs) Delivered At Off-Peak Frequencies.
Degree subject: Psychology
Degree type: Doctor of Philosophy
Awarded date: 14/11/2019
Charlotte Clarke
Charlotte Clarke
Thesis title: Cognitive Bias Modification and Exercise
Degree subject: Psychology
Degree type: Doctor of Philosophy
Awarded date: 17/12/2018
Steven Christopher Southworth
Steven Christopher Southworth
Thesis title: Through a Mirror Darkly: Shedding Light on Individual Differences in the Neural Correlates of Empathy
Degree subject: Psychology
Degree type: Doctor of Philosophy
Awarded date: 10/12/2018
Monica Benedikte Berntsen
Monica Benedikte Berntsen
Thesis title: Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation to Areas Associated with the Human Mirror Neuron System Reveals Modulation to Mu-Suppression and Corresponding Behaviour
Degree subject: Neuropsychology
Degree type: Doctor of Philosophy
Awarded date: 10/10/2016
Amanda Claire Marshall
Amanda Claire Marshall
Thesis title: Keep Calm and Age Well: Behavioural and Electrophysiological Investigations Into the Effects of Cumulative Stress Exposure on Ageing Cognition
Degree subject: Psychology
Degree type: Doctor of Philosophy
Awarded date: 20/1/2016
Paul Twyman
Paul Twyman
Degree subject: Psychology
Degree type: Master of Science (by Dissertation)
Awarded date: 2/7/2015
Rachael Marie Martin
Rachael Marie Martin
Degree subject: Psychology
Degree type: Doctor of Philosophy
Awarded date: 24/6/2014
Sarah Haigh
Sarah Haigh
Thesis title: Visual Discomfort and Cortical Hyperexcitability
Degree subject: Psychology
Degree type: Doctor of Philosophy
Awarded date: 20/11/2012

Publications

Journal articles (54)

Goldenhaus-Manning, D., Cooper, NR. and Loaiza, V., (2024). Examining the role of attention during feature binding in visuospatial working memory. Attention, Perception and Psychophysics. 86 (1), 354-365

Wallace, D., Cooper, NR., Sel, A. and Russo, R., (2023). The Social Readjustment Rating Scale: updated and modernised. PLoS One. 18 (12), e0295943-e0295943

Wallace, D., Cooper, NR., Sel, A. and Russo, R., (2023). Do non-traumatic stressful life events and ageing negatively impact working memory performance and do they interact to further impair working memory performance?. PLoS One. 18 (11), e0290635-e0290635

Wilkins, A. and Cooper, NR., (2021). Treatment of Cluster Headache in a Different Light: A Case Study. touchREVIEWS in Neurology. 17 (2), 110-111

Kostyrka‐Allchorne, K., Cooper, NR., Simpson, A. and Sonuga‐Barke, EJS., (2020). Children’s mental health and recreation: Limited evidence for associations with screen use. Acta Paediatrica. 109 (12), 2648-2655

Kostyrka‐Allchorne, K., Cooper, NR., Wass, SV., Fenner, B., Gooding, P., Hussain, S., Rao, V. and Sonuga‐Barke, EJS., (2020). Future preferences and prospection of future of outcomes: Independent yet specific associations with attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Journal of Adolescence. 83 (1), 31-41

Berntsen, MB., Cooper, NR. and Romei, V., (2020). Emotional Valence Modulates Low Beta Suppression and Recognition of Social Interactions. Journal of Psychophysiology. 34 (4), 235-245

Wheeler, M., Cooper, NR., Andrews, L., Hacker Hughes, J., Juanchich, M., Rakow, T. and Orbell, S., (2020). Outdoor recreational activity experiences improve psychological wellbeing of military veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder: Positive findings from a pilot study and a randomised controlled trial. PLoS One. 15 (11), e0241763-e0241763

Fenner, B., Cooper, NR., Romei, V. and Hughes, G., (2020). Individual differences in sensory integration predict differences in time perception and individual levels of schizotypy. Consciousness and Cognition. 84, 102979-102979

Brown, T., Jamieson, GA., O’Keefe, N., Tordoir, Q., Evans, ID. and Cooper, NR., (2020). sLoreta Neurofeedback Targeting Attention Networks in Table Tennis Athletes Modulates Neural Connectivity and Enhances Visual-Spatial Attention. Asia Pacific Journal of Neurotherapy. 2, 12-27

Berntsen, MB., Cooper, NR., Hughes, G. and Romei, V., (2019). Prefrontal transcranial alternating current stimulation improves motor sequence reproduction. Behavioural Brain Research. 361, 39-49

Kostyrka-Allchorne, K., Cooper, NR. and Simpson, A., (2019). Disentangling the effects of video pace and story realism on children’s attention and response inhibition. Cognitive Development. 49, 94-104

Kostyrka-Allchorne, K., Cooper, NR., Kennett, S., Nestler, S. and Simpson, A., (2019). The Short-Term Effect of Video Editing Pace on Children’s Inhibition and N2 and P3 ERP Components during Visual Go/No-Go Task. Developmental Neuropsychology. 44 (4), 385-396

Kostyrka-Allchorne, K., Holland, A., Cooper, NR., Ahamed, W., Marrow, RK. and Simpson, A., (2019). What helps children learn difficult tasks: A teacher's presence may be worth more than a screen. Trends in Neuroscience and Education. 17, 100114-100114

Wolinski, N., Cooper, NR., Sauseng, P. and Romei, V., (2018). The speed of parietal theta frequency drives visuospatial working memory capacity. PLoS Biology. 16 (3), e2005348-e2005348

Marshall, AC., Cooper, NR., Rosu, L. and Kennett, S., (2018). Stress-related deficits of older adults' spatial working memory: An EEG investigation of occipital alpha and frontal-midline theta activity. Neurobiology of Aging. 69, 239-248

Haigh, SM., Cooper, NR. and Wilkins, AJ., (2018). Chromaticity separation and the alpha response. Neuropsychologia. 108, 1-5

Clarke, SC., Cooper, NR., Rana, M. and Mackintosh, B., (2018). Cognitive Interpretation Bias: The Effect of a Single Session Moderate Exercise Protocol on Anxiety and Depression. Frontiers in Psychology. 9 (AUG), 1363-

Berntsen, MB., Cooper, NR. and Romei, V., (2017). Transcranial alternating current stimulation to the inferior parietal lobe decreases mu suppression to egocentric, but not allocentric hand movements. Neuroscience. 344, 124-132

Kostyrka-Allchorne, K., Cooper, NR. and Simpson, A., (2017). The relationship between television exposure and children's cognition and behaviour: A systematic review. Developmental Review. 44, 19-58

Marshall, AC. and Cooper, NR., (2017). The association between high levels of cumulative life stress and aberrant resting state EEG dynamics in old age. Biological Psychology. 127, 64-73

Russo, R., Twyman, P., Cooper, NR., Fitzgweald, PB. and Wallace, D., (2017). When You Can, Scale Up: Large-Scale Study Shows No Effect of tDCS in an Ambiguous Risk-Taking Task. Neuropsychologia. 104, 133-143

Kostyrka-Allchorne, K., Cooper, NR., Gossmann, AM., Banks, KJ. and Simpson, A., (2017). Differential effects of film on preschool children's behaviour dependent on editing pace. Acta Paediatrica. 106 (5), 831-836

Kostyrka-Allchorne, K., Cooper, NR. and Simpson, A., (2017). Touchscreen generation: children's current media use, parental supervision methods and attitudes towards contemporary media. Acta Paediatrica. 106 (4), 654-662

Wallace, D., Cooper, NR., Paulmann, S., Fitzgerald, PB. and Russo, R., (2016). Perceived Comfort and Blinding Efficacy in Randomised Sham-Controlled Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) Trials at 2 mA in Young and Older Healthy Adults. PLoS One. 11 (2), e0149703-e0149703

Atkins, D., Uskul, AK. and Cooper, NR., (2016). Culture shapes empathic responses to physical and social pain.. Emotion. 16 (5), 587-601

Marshall, AC., Cooper, NR. and Geeraert, N., (2016). The impact of experienced stress on aged spatial discrimination: Cortical overreliance as a result of hippocampal impairment. Hippocampus. 26 (3), 329-340

Marshall, AC., Cooper, NR. and Geeraert, N., (2016). Experienced stress produces inhibitory deficits in old adults’ Flanker task performance: First evidence for lifetime stress effects beyond memory. Biological Psychology. 113, 1-11

Marshall, AC., Cooper, NR., Segrave, R. and Geeraert, N., (2015). The effects of long-term stress exposure on aging cognition: a behavioral and EEG investigation. Neurobiology of Aging. 36 (6), 2136-2144

Haigh, SM., Cooper, NR. and Wilkins, AJ., (2015). Cortical excitability and the shape of the haemodynamic response.. NeuroImage. 111, 379-384

Russo, R., Wallace, D., Fitzgerald, PB. and Cooper, NR., (2013). Perception of Comfort During Active and Sham Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation: A Double Blind Study. Brain Stimulation. 6 (6), 946-951

Puzzo, I., Cooper, NR., Cantarella, S., Fitzgerald, PB. and Russo, R., (2013). The effect of rTMS over the inferior parietal lobule on EEG sensorimotor reactivity differs according to self-reported traits of autism in typically developing individuals. Brain Research. 1541, 33-41

Cooper, NR., Simpson, A., Till, A., Simmons, K. and Puzzo, I., (2013). Beta event-related desynchronization as an index of individual differences in processing human facial expression: further investigations of autistic traits in typically developing adults. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience. 7 (159), 159-

Simpson, A., Cooper, NR., Gillmeister, H. and Riggs, KJ., (2013). Seeing triggers acting, hearing does not trigger saying: Evidence from children?s weak inhibition. Cognition. 128 (2), 103-112

Cooper, NR., Puzzo, I., Pawley, AD., Bowes-Mulligan, RA., Kirkpatrick, EV., Antoniou, PA. and Kennett, S., (2012). Bridging a yawning chasm: EEG investigations into the debate concerning the role of the human mirror neuron system in contagious yawning. Cognitive, Affective, & Behavioral Neuroscience. 12 (2), 393-405

Segrave, RA., Thomson, RH., Cooper, NR., Croft, RJ., Sheppard, DM. and Fitzgerald, PB., (2012). Emotive interference during cognitive processing in major depression: an investigation of lower alpha 1 activity.. Journal of Affective Disorders. 141 (2-3), 185-193

Puzzo, I., Cooper, NR., Cantarella, S. and Russo, R., (2011). Measuring the effects of manipulating stimulus presentation time on sensorimotor alpha and low beta reactivity during hand movement observation. NeuroImage. 57 (4), 1358-1363

Segrave, RA., Cooper, NR., Thomson, RH., Croft, RJ., Sheppard, DM. and Fitzgerald, PB., (2011). Individualized alpha activity and frontal asymmetry in major depression.. Clinical EEG and Neuroscience. 42 (1), 45-52

Leung, S., Croft, RJ., McKenzie, RJ., Iskra, S., Silber, B., Cooper, NR., O'Neill, B., Cropley, V., Diaz-Trujillo, A., Hamblin, D. and Simpson, D., (2011). Effects of 2G and 3G mobile phones on performance and electrophysiology in adolescents, young adults and older adults.. Clinical Neurophysiology. 122 (11), 2203-2216

Puzzo, I., Cooper, NR., Vetter, P. and Russo, R., (2010). EEG activation differences in the pre-motor cortex and supplementary motor area between normal individuals with high and low traits of autism. Brain Research. 1342, 104-110

Upton, DJ., Cooper, NR., Laycock, R., Croft, RJ. and Fitzgerald, PB., (2010). A Combined rTMS and ERP Investigation of Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex Involvement in Response Inhibition. Clinical EEG and Neuroscience. 41 (3), 127-131

Upton, DJ., Enticott, PG., Croft, RJ., Cooper, NR. and Fitzgerald, PB., (2010). ERP correlates of response inhibition after-effects in the stop signal task. Experimental Brain Research. 206 (4), 351-358

Croft, RJ., Leung, S., McKenzie, RJ., Loughran, SP., Iskra, S., Hamblin, DL. and Cooper, NR., (2010). Effects of 2G and 3G mobile phones on human alpha rhythms: Resting EEG in adolescents, young adults, and the elderly.. Bioelectromagnetics. 31 (6), 434-444

Segrave, RA., Thomson, RH., Cooper, NR., Croft, RJ., Sheppard, DM. and Fitzgerald, PB., (2010). Upper alpha activity during working memory processing reflects abnormal inhibition in major depression.. Journal of Affective Disorders. 127 (1-3), 191-198

Puzzo, I., Cooper, NR., Vetter, P., Russo, R. and Fitzgerald, PB., (2009). Reduced cortico-motor facilitation in a normal sample with high traits of autism. Neuroscience Letters. 467 (2), 173-177

Fitzgerald, PB., Mellow, TB., Hoy, KE., Segrave, R., Cooper, NR., Upton, DJ. and Croft, RJ., (2009). A study of intensity dependence of the auditory evoked potential (IDAEP) in medicated melancholic and non-melancholic depression. Journal of Affective Disorders. 117 (3), 212-216

Cooper, NR., Uller, C., Pettifer, J. and Stolc, FC., (2009). Conditioning attentional skills: examining the effects of the pace of television editing on children's attention.. Acta Paediatrica. 98 (10), 1651-1655

Fitzgerald, PB., Daskalakis, ZJ., Hoy, K., Farzan, F., Upton, DJ., Cooper, NR. and Maller, JJ., (2008). Cortical Inhibition in Motor and Non-Motor Regions: A Combined TMS-EEG Study. Clinical EEG and Neuroscience. 39 (3), 112-117

Cooper, NR., Puzzo, I. and Pawley, AD., (2008). Contagious yawning: The mirror neuron system may be a candidate physiological mechanism. Medical Hypotheses. 71 (6), 975-976

Cooper, NR., Fitzgerald, PB., Croft, RJ., Upton, DJ., Segrave, RA., Daskalakis, ZJ. and Kulkarni, J., (2008). Effects of rTMS on an auditory oddball task: a pilot study of cortical plasticity and the EEG.. Clinical EEG and Neuroscience. 39 (3), 139-143

Cooper, NR., Burgess, AP., Croft, RJ. and Gruzelier, JH., (2006). Investigating evoked and induced electroencephalogram activity in task-related alpha power increases during an internally directed attention task. NeuroReport. 17 (2), 205-208

Croft, RJ., Chandler, JS., Barry, RJ., Cooper, NR. and Clarke, AR., (2005). EOG correction: A comparison of four methods. Psychophysiology. 42 (1), 16-24

Cooper, NR., Croft, RJ., Dominey, SJJ., Burgess, AP. and Gruzelier, JH., (2003). Paradox lost? Exploring the role of alpha oscillations during externally vs. internally directed attention and the implications for idling and inhibition hypotheses. International Journal of Psychophysiology. 47 (1), 65-74

Vernon, D., Egner, T., Cooper, NR., Compton, T., Neilands, C., Sheri, A. and Gruzelier, J., (2003). The effect of training distinct neurofeedback protocols on aspects of cognitive performance.. International Journal of Psychophysiology. 47 (1), 75-85

Conferences (2)

Cooper, NR., Simpson, A., Till, A., Simmons, K. and Puzzo, I., (2012). Differential effect of facial expression on Mu-suppression according to the level of autistic traits

Martin, RM., Fox, E. and Cooper, NR., (2011). DO PERSONALITY TRAITS INFLUENCE THE N2PC RESPONSE TO AFFECTIVE IMAGES?

Grants and funding

2024

A NATURE-BASED INTERVENTION TO IMPROVE MENTAL HEALTH: EFFICACY OF AN ANGLING INTERVENTION FOR MILITARY VETERANS WITH POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER

National Institute for Health Research

2022

A nature-based intervention to improve mental health: Efficacy of an angling intervention for military veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder.

National Institute for Health Research

2020

Fitness and Sleep Programme Modules Content for AI Wellbeing Product

Keep Fit Eat Fit Wellbeing Ltd

Fitness and Sleep Programme Modules Content for AI Wellbeing Product

Keep Fit Eat Fit Wellbeing Ltd

Contact

ncooper@essex.ac.uk
+44 (0) 1206 873781

Location:

3.717, Colchester Campus

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