General Information about Studies in ZLAB

Current studies

Current Studies in ZLAB

Research purpose

The studies will help us better understand linguistic, cognitive and social functions in the human brain. Your participation makes an important contribution to science. This information is crucial to the advancement of science and the development of effective training or intervention strategies to help people learn better, especially for children and adults with speech-language-hearing problems.

If you are interested, here is a link for online resources that discuss the broader significance and impact of our research.

Time and Location

You will receive confirmation of the schedule by email or by phone.

Please arrive on time. If you need to cancel, please inform us one day before the experiment so that the imaging system can be used by other researchers. It is advised that participants give their phone number to the researcher for confirmation or other purposes such as finding the location of the test room right before the test.

Locations depend on the study. EEG studies are at 119I in Shevlin Hall, fMRI studies are at CMRR, and MEG studies are at United Hospital.

Safety and payment

All studies in Zhang Lab are approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB), also known as the Human Subject Protection Committee at the University. Participants typically receive $10~50 in cash depending on the actual experiment.

Parking

Free convenient parking next to our lab in Shevlin Hall is available for research participants.
We can also provide parking at other research sites for fMRI and MEG studies, if needed.
Please contact us for arranging a parking permit prior to your visit.

Click here for contact info, map and driving directions.

Scheduling

We aim to be able to schedule and run studies seven days a week. Scheduling on Saturdays and Sundays is not uncommon.
MRI scheduling is harder to arrange because we are required to use the online reservation system at Center for Magnetic Resonance Research for authorized MRI operators. Zhang Lab currently have three students certified to run fMRI experiments.

Privacy and recorded data

Your privacy is protected and secured in accordance with HIPAA and IRB requirements. Any report of individual and group data will be anonymous. If we notice any unusual brain activities such as signs of seizure, we will provide referral to you for a possible medical exam at certified hospitals.

The IRB procedure requires you to read and sign a consent form. The University also requires a payment form for subject fee.
All completed forms with personal information are kept confidential and submitted to the University for auditing and reimbursement.
The documents will be destroyed within the time frame specified by the Institutional Review Board at the University.

Click here for an example consent form titled "Neural coding of speech sounds."

Voluntary nature

Participants can withdraw before or during the experiment at any time. Payment will be prorated for the actual amount time in the experiment.

For infant and child participants, parents or legal guardians will be required to give consent and help make decisions. Your decision to participate or withdraw will not affect your relationships with the University of Minnesota and its affiliated organizations.

Please contact us at ude.nmu|balgnahz#ude.nmu|balgnahz if you have questions or concerns.

Handedness Test

For many subjects, we assess handedness using an online survey of hand preference, which can be completed in two minutes. Click here to access the handedness page.

You will receive instructions and confirmation reminder for the study before the scheduled day. If you do not receive the confirmation, please write to us at ude.nmu|balgnahz#ude.nmu|balgnahz. During the study, you will be asked to remain still during recordings and avoid excessive blinking or bodily movements. Gum chewing is not allowed during experiment as it distorts the recorded data.

MRI Screening

MRI Screening Form

What to expect in EEG, MEG, and fMRI studies

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