School of Psychology: Research Staff

 
  DR. MIKE KEANE

  Office Rm. 208, Cois Abhainn
  Telephone 353-91-495832  
  Fax + 353 91 495574
  E-mail  Mike Keane

Dr. Mike Keane BA (Hons), PhD

Mike Keane has just completed a PhD (2003) at NUI, Galway. He is currently employed as a post-doctoral researcher in the School of Psychology within the GSK-TCIN-NUIG research consortium.

Current Work

Post-Doctoral Position

Mike is currently employed as a post-doctoral researcher in the School of Psychology, within the GSK-TCIN-NUIG research consortium. The broad aim of this research group is to develop early interventions for people with Alzheimer’s Disease. Mike’s work focuses on identifying EEG markers of early cognitive decline in older adults. Cognitive decline has been linked to increased amplitude variability in the ERP as well as decreases in fronto-temporal coherence. This research project is being paralleled by a similar project which is being undertaken at the Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience .

EEG Laboratories Manager

During his PhD, Mike set up the University’s first EEG laboratory, which includes a 40 channel amplifier. As part of his current position, Mike has created another, more advanced laboratory with broader capabilities, including a 70 channel EEG amplifier. A private area is available beside the EEG labs where participants can wash their hair etc following an EEG experiment. He currently manages both laboratories and oversees all work carried out within the labs. Most of the labs’ supplies, including the amplifiers, caps and recording and analysis software are supplied by Brain Products (München, www.brainproducts.com), through their UK/Ireland distributors at Brain Vision (UK, www.brainvision.co.uk).

Previous work

Mike’s PhD work centred on an investigation of the effects of dietary caffeine on the human EEG, with a particular emphasis on controlling for the confounding effects of caffeine withdrawal. His main findings suggested that, when withdrawal and withdrawal reversal are controlled, caffeine’s ’stimulatory’ effects are not as clear as previous research has suggested. As well as this, his work corroborated the emerging idea that performance and mood benefits of caffeine reported previously are most likely due to withdrawal reversal and these benefits disappear when withdrawal is controlled. All of these findings have been published (see below).

Mike has also spent three months working in the Wolfgang Klimesch Laboratory in the Department of Physiological Psychology in the University of Salzburg, concentrating primarily on various signal analysis methods under the supervision of Dr. Paul Sauseng. He maintains research links with the laboratory in Salzburg, as well as with colleagues in the Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, St. James’s Hospital, and the Department of Psychology, NUI, Maynooth. Mike also serves as an advisor to the members of the EEG Laboratory at the University of Ulster in Coleraine.

Publications

Peer reviewed articles

• James, J. E. & Keane, M. A. (2007). Caffeine, sleep and wakefulness: Implications of new understanding about withdrawal reversal. Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental, 549-558
• Keane, M. A., James, J. E., & Hogan, M. J. (2007). Effects of dietary caffeine on EEG after controlling for withdrawal and withdrawal reversal. Neuropsychobiology 56, 197-207.
• Keane, M. A. & James, J. E. (2008). Effects of dietary caffeine on EEG, performance and mood when rested and sleep restricted. Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental 23, , 669-680.

Presentations

Conference

• Keane, M. & Groarke, A. M. (2000). Effects of cueing to remember or forget on temporal coding in memory. Paper presented at the Psychological Society of Ireland, 22nd Annual Congress of Psychology Students in Ireland, UCD.
• Keane, M. & James, J. E. (2003). Think Red Bull – Think Road Safety? Paper presented at the Psychological Society of Ireland, 25th Annual Congress of Psychology Students in Ireland, UCC.
• Keane, M. & James, J. E. (2006). Effects of caffeine on EEG, performance and mood: The role of caffeine withdrawal. Paper presented at the Psychological Society of Ireland, 37th Annual Congress.
• Keane, M. (2007). Caffeine and EEG. Paper presented at the Department of Physiological Psychology, University of Salzburg.

Other

• NUIG Psychology Departmental Research Seminar Series
  
  • 2003 – "Caffeine and sleep: Methodological issues"
  • 2005 – "Adenosine and sleep"
  • 2008 – "Caffeine and EEG – Controlling for Withdrawal and Withdrawal Reversal"
• Cardiovascular / Psychophysiology Research Group
  
• 2003 – "Think Red Bull – Think road safety?"

Professional Membership

• Psychological Society of Ireland
• Galway Neuroscience Group (Applied Clinical Neuroscience Group)

Teaching Responsibilities

• Biology and Behaviour (1st Year Psychology)
• Principles of Teaching and Learning (Masters in Ed. for Nurses)
• Socioemotional Development (Masters in Midwifery)
• Research Methods (Final Year Psychology, Evening BA)
• Introduction to Behaviourism (1st Year Nursing)

Supervision

• Peter Collins, 3rd Year BA (Primary supervisor – Dr. Mike Hogan)
• Elaine McHugh, 3rd Year BA - Assessing the influence of personality, activation level and hedonic tone on creativity (Co-supervision with Dr. Ann Marie Groarke)
• Maeve Conroy, 3rd Year BA (Co-supervision with Dr. Ann Marie Groarke)
• Jón Grétar Sigurrjónson PhD candidate - Electrophysiological Activity During Stimulus Class Formation (Member of thesis committee; primary supervisor: Dr. Geraldine Leader

As EEG Lab Manager, Mike currently oversees all EEG experiments that are carried out within the School. If you have any queries about the labs, or are interested in carrying out some EEG experiments with us, please feel free to make enquiries with Mike at either the number or email address above.

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