The new Basque Center on Cognition, Brain and Language (BCBL), unique in Spain, was inaugurated on 7 June in San Sebastian. The centre, located at the Miramón Technology Park and with a laboratory in the campus of the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) in San Sebastian, occupies a 1,500 m2 total surface and currently involves a 53-person international team.

The Basque Center on Cognition, Brain and Language (BCBL) aims to unravel the neuropsychological mechanisms associated to language acquisition, processing and representation in babies, young people and adults, both in healthy people and in people with disorders. Researchers will also work on neuropsychology research projects for a better understanding of diseases such as Alzheimer's or hyperactivity.

BCBL facilities devoted to cognitive neuroscience involve 3 Tesla magnetic resonance, providing 3-D imaging of the brain when subjected to a particular stimulus, and magnetoencephalography, which registers the activity of the brain while performing cognitive tasks.

By merging the outcomes of both techniques, certain parts of the brain can be accurately studied together with the moment when they take part in the acquisition, development, comprehension and production of the language. Moreover ,they can evaluate which areas might be damaged in the event of a neurodegenerative disease.

At present, BCBL is involved in five projects; one of them goes deeply into reading-related processes, dyslexia, attention deficits and reasoning disorders. This particular project involves collaboration with the Universities of Granada, Murcia, La Laguna and Seville.