FWF grant for Manuel Schabus & opportunity to participate
New FWF project at the Laboratory for Sleep and Consciousness Research & New sleep study on digital insomnia therapy - "Endlich wieder besser schlafen?".
2025-02-13
Our Research
Our research covers multiple interrelated domains. One major line explores how sleep supports memory consolidation and learning, particularly in motor and cognitive domains. We also investigate prenatal learning and fetal memory, using auditory stimulation protocols during pregnancy and postnatal EEG assessments. Furthermore, we study disorders of consciousness and their neural dynamics. More recently, we have established a dedicated research stream on digital sleep therapy and high-precision home-based sleep tracking. This includes validating mobile sleep measurements against gold-standard methods and evaluating how app-based interventions can improve sleep quality in both clinical and non-clinical populations.
Our Methods
At the Laboratory for Sleep & Consciousness Research (CCNS, University of Salzburg), we apply a multimodal approach to investigate sleep and related states of consciousness. Core methods include high-density EEG for detailed brain activity mapping, as well as fMRI to identify the neural correlates of memory, awareness, and sleep stages. Behavioral and subjective assessments complement these tools. In recent years, we have also focused on digital technologies: we design, test, and implement scientifically grounded digital interventions such as the Sleep² App, allowing accurate, mobile-based sleep tracking and therapeutic guidance in real-life settings.
Our Publications
Our work is regularly published in peer-reviewed journals such as Nature Human Behaviour, Sleep, and Scientific Reports. Publications span topics from the role of sleep in learning and emotional regulation to fetal auditory memory and the development of digital sleep interventions. A complete and up-to-date list of our publications can be found here.