Program

Download the full abstract book (PDF, 681 KB) here. 
More information on the locations can be found here: Conference Location

Sunday November 16th: pre-ARCHES activities
Location: University Hospital Zurich, Nord 2 (Frauenklinikstrasse 24)
16h00             Start pre-ARCHES (Nord2 B811, Floor B)
16h05             Demo 1:  3D virtual acoustics laboratory setup
                          Demo 2:  Experimental investigations of the ear 
16h50             Walk to Scheuchzerstrasse 21
17h00             Demo 3: TEAS (Transcranial electrical and acoustic stimulation in tinnitus)
                          Demo 4: FIRE (Fatigability impact on resting-state and executive function)
                          Demo 5: ANTARES (Advanced neurofeedback for tinnitus applying representational EEG                                                signatures)
18h30             Dinner at restaurant Linde Oberstrass (at own expenses) (Universitätstrasse 91)

Monday November 17th: ARCHES
Location: University of Zurich (Rämistrasse 71)
09h00             Registration (KOL-H-317, Floor H)
09h30             Welcome, start of the 2025 ARCHES meeting (KOL-H-317, Floor H)
09h40             Poster pitches (2minutes per poster, accompanied by max 2slides) (KOL-H-317, Floor H)
10h20             Break ("Lichthof", Floor D)
10h40             Oral presentations (KOL-H-317, Floor H)
                          - Copenhagen: Torsten Dau, Pernilla Andersen, Mark Saddler
                          - Oldenburg: Birger Kollmeier, Chen Xu, Max Scharf
                          - Guest: Nathalie Giroud 
12h20             Lunch ("Lichthof", Floor D)
13h20             Oral presentations (KOL-H-317, Floor H)
                          - Salamanca: Enrique A. Lopez Poveda, Paula García-Zaballos, Miriam I. Marrufo Perez
                          - Amsterdam: Cas Smits, Nick van Huis, Finn Holtrop
14h40             Break + poster session ("Lichthof", Floor D)
15h20             Oral presentations (KOL-H-317, Floor H)
                          - Leuven: Jan Wouters, Lotte Lambrechts, Evelien De Groote 
                          - Nottingham: Michael Akeroyd, Lindsay Steele, Lorenza Zaira Curetti
16h40             Group photo
17h00             Social activity: guided walk through Zurich’s old town (Meeting point: "Lichthof", Floor D)
18h30             Dinner at restaurant UniTurm  (KOL-M, Floor M)

Tuesday November 18th : ARCHES
Location: University of Zurich (Rämistrasse 71)
08h00             Business meeting (only PI’s, until 09h00) (KOL-G-210, Floor G)
08h30             Poster session ("Lichthof", Floor D)
09h00             Oral presentations (KOL-G-217, Floor G)
                          - Paris: Emmanuel Ponsot, Matthieu Fraticelli, David López Ramos
                          - Groningen: Emile de Kleine, Gloria Araiza-Illan, Laura Rachman
10h20             Break + poster session ("Lichthof", Floor D)
11h00             Oral presentations (KOL-G-217, Floor G)
                          - Zurich: Flurin Pfiffner, Marlies Geys, Dietmar Wohlbauer, Tobias Göhring, Patrick Neff
11h40             Closing session (KOL-G-217, Floor G)
12h00             Lunch ("Lichthof", Floor D)
14h00             End meeting

Before the official start of the conference, join us for a pre-conference program showcasing research at the University Hospital of Zurich. Participants will gain insights into some of our projects, including:

• Demo 1 (Norbert Dillier & Laurent Simon)
  Title: 3D virtual acoustics laboratory setup
  A demonstration of  our 3D virtual acoustics laboratory setup. Auditory scenes with natural and synthetic static and dynamically moving sound sources can be constructed and used for perceptual experiments with hearing devices. Example experiments with a spherically distributed set of 32 loudspeakers are presented. A brief introduction into MaxMSP with its graphical block diagram design features is provided.
• Demo 2 (Merlin Schär, Lukas Prochazka & Johannes Niermann)
  Title: Experimental Investigations of the Ear
  This workshop provides a hands-on demonstration of experimental techniques in auditory research, including measurement of middle ear motion, experimental investigation of bone conduction, setup and recording of inner ear pressure and intracochlear sensor demonstration. Participants will gain insight into the methods and equipment used in these experimental auditory studies.
• Demo 3 (Patrick Neff and Jessica Fritzsche)
  Title: TEAS (Transcranial Electrical and Acoustic Stimulation in Tinnitus): A Cortical Bimodal Stimulation Approach
  Bimodal stimulation, combining acoustic and electrical inputs, is a prominent area of investigation for tinnitus, though most current approaches focus on peripheral nerve stimulation (e.g., trigeminal, vagus). This workshop presents our alternative strategy, which explores cortical bimodal stimulation to directly target and reverse maladaptive neuroplasticity in the cortex. We will present the system, the study protocol, and our first results. A demonstration of the 33-channel HD neurostimulator will be provided. The session will conclude with an outline of planned small-scale experiments investigating neuromodulation and its effects on hearing.
• Demo 4 (Patrick Neff and Nick Sommerhalder)
  Title: FIRE (Fatigability Impact on Resting-state and Executive Function): A Multimodal Paradigm for Investigating Auditory Cognition
  The FIRE project focuses on the development of a multimodal paradigm to systematically investigate the influence of fatigue and fatiguability on hearing and auditory cognition. We will present the established paradigm, which has demonstrated successful fatigue manipulation leading to robust behavioral and neural effects. This framework is being used to develop and validate novel auditory cognitive performance metrics applicable to clinical and neurodiverse populations, including individuals with tinnitus, hyperacusis, ADHD, and autism. The workshop will include a demonstration of the integrated lab setup, featuring aligned peripheral sensors with eyetracking, a showcase of the paradigm tasks, and a presentation of preliminary data.
• Demo 5 (Patrick Neff and Payam Shabestari)
  Title: ANTARES (Advanced Neurofeedback for Tinnitus Applying Representational EEG Signatures): An Open-Source System for Personalized Brain Training
  As the culminating stage of a large-scale, transdisciplinary national research project involving collaborators from EPFL-ECAL (human-centered design) and the University of Fribourg (psychology of user experience), our group delivers two primary contributions to the project: First, we will introduce a fully open-source, optimized, real-time neurofeedback system, with its Python code slated for hosting within the MNE library for M/EEG processing. Second, we will detail our methodology for deriving novel and personalized neural features to be used as targets for real-time brain training tailored to an individual's specific tinnitus profile. We are currently designing the clinical proof-of-concept study and analyzing large datasets to refine our pipelines for individual neural target selection. The analysis pipelines and the real-time system will be available for demonstration and in-depth discussion.

This pre-program offers an opportunity to experience our laboratory’s latest methods and technologies firsthand. Don’t miss it!