"That 'one is identical with oneself' seems so self-evident to each one of us in our daily life that we do not even think upon it", so says Professor Fuchs from the Psychiatric University Clinic of Heidelberg. Mental illnesses such as schizophrenia, depression or borderline personality disorders allow this entity of Self to become brittle, or even to shatter, which brings the scientists then into rumination. What is the Self? Is it perhaps an illusion created by the brain? Is our autonomy just a delusion?  What role does the body and the environment play? "The Embodied Self" is the quintessence of many years of research by the international research group DISCOS (Disorders of Coherence of the Embodied Self - Defects and unity of the embodied self), that has dealt with human personality and its pathological disturbances using an interdisciplinary approach. The aim of DISCOS is to overcome the limitations of single theoretical approaches and therapies, and to merge particular natural sciences and humanities perspectives into holistic knowledge. The resulting deeper understanding into "self-awareness" which is gained should contribute in improving the treatment of mental diseases. Nine European universities from seven countries have joined forces under the leadership of The University of Heidelberg in this multinational research project, for which the EU is the official sponsor.  Schattauer Publishers, located in Stuttgart Germany, is exclusively responsible for the media communications regarding the project, the preparation and publication of results, as well as all public relations. More information on DISCOS can be found at: http://www.discos-rtn.eu  

A free review copy of this book can be requested via stefanie.albert(at)schattauer.de

During the last decade, philosophical, psychological and neurobiological approaches to the self have increasingly overcome their disciplinary constraints and entered into a productive dialogue. Different levels of self‐awareness such as the 'core' or 'minimal sel' and the 'extended' or 'narrative self' have been distinguished and investigated from a phenomenological, developmental and neurocognitive perspective. In this context, disorders of self‐experience have also attracted growing attention. This integrative and interdisciplinary approach is well represented by the European Marie‐Curie Research Training Network entitled "Disorders and Coherence of the Embodied Self" (DISCOS), a consortium of 10 European research facilities which organizes this present conference. The aim of the conference is to create an interdisciplinary forum for the exchange of ideas on the themes of intersubjectivity, self‐awareness and its disorders. Special emphasis will be placed on the interplay of biological and social factors that are crucially important for establishing selfcoherence, assuming that intersubjectivity and the development of the self are inherently related. Thus, exploring the self from different perspectives will elucidate and enrich our understanding of the mechanisms underlying intersubjectivity and self‐other differentiation.

Main Speakers:
Developmental Science ‐ Renée Baillargeon, Hannes Rakoczy, György Gergely
Neuroscience ‐   Julie Grezes, Gergely Csibra, Kai Vogeley, Vittorio Gallese
Philosophy ‐  Shaun Gallagher, Dan Zahavi, Pierre Jacob
Psychiatry ‐  Efraim Bleiberg, Josef Parnas/Andrea Raballo, Thomas Fuchs/Hanne De Jaegher

Organisers: György Gergely, Ágnes Kovács, Ernő Téglás, Andrea Schrök
Venue: Hotel President, Budapest
Further information: www.discos‐2010.com
Contact: gergelygy(at)ceu.hu (scientific issues), schroka(at)ceu.hu (program issues)

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Salerno, 4-7 July 2010

Local organizer: Pr Michele Papa
Welcome address: University of Salerno UNISA http://www3.unisa.it/
Details on the area :  www.amalficoast.com

Joint Meeting of

McDonnell Foundation Grant Coma and Consciousness Consortium

COST Action BM0605 on Consciousness: a transdisciplinary, integrated approach

DECODER : Deployment of Brain-Computer Interfaces for the Detection of Consciousness in Non-Responsive Patients

Mindbridge EU STREP Measuring Consciousness: Bridging the Mind-Brain Gap

Disorders & Coherence of the Embodied Self Marie Curie Research Training Network

3 day international meeting Sunday 4 - Tuesday 6 July, 2010

8 speakers per day + poster session during both days for participants 

Sunday 4 July         
5:30 PM,        Welcome
6:00 PM,        Opening lecture
7:30 PM,        Welcome party

Monday 5 July        
All day meeting

Tuesday 6 July        
Meeting 8:30 - 12:00
Afternoon:  tour (2 choices, A) archeological [Paestum site], B) landscape [Amalfi Coast]        

Wednesday 7 July       
Meeting till  4:00 PM (tea break)
8:00 PM Gala dinner

Speakers 

1. Steven LAUREYS: introducing disorders of consciousness
   
2. Nicholas SCHIFF EEG in disorders of consciousness
   
3. Adrian OWEN: fMRI in disorders of consciousness
   
4. Joe GIACINO:  assessing minimal signs of consciousness
5. Joe FINS: neuroethics of enhancing cognition by deep brain stimulation
6. Haim SOMPOLINSKY: Consciousness and Neural Computation
7. David MENON: Brain function in anesthesia
   
8. Rafi MALACH : internal and external consciousness
9. Bettina SORGER : ?Talking? using BOLD
   
10. Martin MONTI : 'communication' using fMRI
    
11. Andrea SODDU: resting state fMRI
12. Melanie BOLY:  Information Theory and consciousness
13. Caroline SCHNAKERS: (mis)diagnosis of the vegetative state
14. Donatella MATTIA : Brain computer interface s

Brain and Self. Psychiatric Nosology: Definition, History and Validity

International conference & PhD-course, Copenhagen
April 21-23, 2010
Organized by J. Parnas & K.S. Kendler

    The field of psychiatry is again undergoing a major re-examination of its classification system. The two major nosologic systems ? DSM and ICD ? are both currently undergoing revisions. This conference ? to be held April 21-23, 2010 in Copenhagen under the sponsorship of University of Copenhagen (Danish National Research Foundation?s Centre for Subjectivity Research/Psychiatric Center Hvidovre, Phd School, Faculty of Health Sciences) ? will examine the conceptual and philosophical bases for psychiatric diagnoses. The conference is organized into 5 sessions: i) The Basics - The Definition of Psychiatric Illness and Rules for Classification, ii) The Historical Development of Modern Psychiatric Diagnoses, iii) Concepts of Validity in Psychology and Psychiatry, iv) Application to Major Depression and Schizophrenia and v) The Way(s) Forward.
Speakers include leading figures in the philosophy of psychiatry, vice-chair persons of the Task Force on DSM-IV and DSM-V and psychiatrists who have made important recent contributions to the philosophy-psychiatry dialogue (see program below). The meeting will emphasize dialogue with each presentation being followed first by formal comments from another of the contributors and then by open discussion.

The conference is open for participation for all with a professional interest (psychiatry, philosophy, neuroscience, psychology, related disciplines). Participation is without fee, but registration is necessary. The conference covers no expenses related to participation. Maximum audience is 200, of which 50 places are reserved for local and foreign PhD students. There is no deadline for the application but selection/registration of participants will follow ?first come, first serve? principle.
PhD students are asked to register at: Mrs Merete Lynnerup: mly(at)hum.ku.dk
All other participants are asked to register at: Mrs Jill Opalesky jopales(at)vcu.edu

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