MORENO IGNAZIO COCO

Posizione e Interessi di Ricerca

La ricerca del Prof. Moreno I. Coco si colloca all'intersezione tra neuroscienze cognitive umane, psicologia sperimentale e modellistica computazionale. L'approccio empirico unisce metodologie comportamentali avanzate (come eye-tracking e computer-mouse tracking) a tecniche di imaging (come l'elettrofisiologia - EEG) per esplorare i meccanismi cognitivi. Attualmente, l'interesse principale si concentra sul ruolo dell'attenzione nella formazione e nel mantenimento delle tracce di memoria4. In precedenza, ha investigato l'integrazione cross-modale dei processi linguistici e visivi5. Questo lavoro viene applicato allo studio dell'invecchiamento cognitivo, sia sano che patologico (ad esempio, demenza a corpi di Lewy e decadimento cognitivo lieve), e a problematiche di psicolinguistica.

Produzione Scientifica: Pubblicazioni su Rivista

Il Prof. Coco è autore di 39 articoli su riviste internazionali peer-reviewed .

Dati Bibliometrici (Google Scholar al 21.10.2025):

• Citazioni totali: 1476
• H-index: 20
• i10-index: 27

La maggior parte degli articoli è pubblicata in riviste di fascia Q1 (SJR) in aree chiave delle Neuroscienze Cognitive e Psicologia.

Elenco Completo delle Pubblicazioni su Rivista:

1. A. Galati, R. Dale, C. Alviar and M. I. Coco. (2026). Task goals constrain the alignment in eye-movements and speech during interpersonal coordination. Journal of Memory and Language, 146 (104691). DOI: 10.1016/j.jml.2025.10469121.

2. E. Allegretti, M. Mauti and M. I. Coco. (2025). Visual short-term memory binding and attentional processes during object-scene integration are preserved in mild cognitive impairment. Cortex. DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2024.12.00222.

3. L. Salsano, N. M. Petro, G. Picci, A. J. Petts, R. J. Glesinger, L. K. Horne, A. T. Coutant, G. C. Ende, J. A. John, D. L. Rice, G. M. Garrison, K. A. Kress, V. Santangelo, M. I. Coco and T. W. Wilson. (2025). Blending into naturalistic scenes: Cortical regions serving visual search are more strongly activated in congruent contexts. NeuroImage, 311, 121214, DOI:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2025.12121423.

4. E. Allegretti, G. D'Innocenzo and M. I. Coco. (2025). The Visual Integration of Semantic and Spatial Information of Objects in Naturalistic Scenes (VISIONS) database: Attentional, Conceptual and Perceptual Norms. Behavior Research Methods, 57(42)24.

5. M. I. Coco, G. Smith, R. Sperlorzi and M. Garraffa. (2025). Moving to continuous classifications of bilingualism through machine learning trained on language production. Bilingualism: Language and Cognition, 28(1), 248-256. DOI: 10.1017/S136672892400036125.

6. E. Delhaye, G. D'Innocenzo, A. Raposo and M. I. Coco. (2024). The upside of cumulative conceptual interference on exemplar-level mnemonic discrimination. Memory and Cognition, 52, 1567-1578. DOI: 10.3758/s13421-024-01563-226.

7. S. Della Sala, J. Bathelt, H. Buchtel, A. Tavano, C. Press, B. Love, I. Croy, R. Morris, S. Kotz,, M.D. Kopelman, M. I. Coco, P. Reber, S.J. Forkel and S.R. Schweinberger (2024). The future of science publishing. Cortex, 181, 93-100 DOI:10.1016/j.cortex.2024.10.00527.

8. M. I. Coco, C. Guariglia and L. Pizzamiglio (2024). Unconventionally trendy: The pluralistic endeavour of Cortex into the human cognitive neurosciences. Cortex, 170, 101-106 DOI:10.1016/j.cortex.2023.12.00128.

9. A. Mikhailova, S. Lightfoot, J. Santos-Victor and M. I. Coco (2024). Differential effects of intrinsic properties of natural scenes and interference mechanisms on recognition processes in long-term visual memory. Cognitive Processing, 25, 173-187, DOI:10.1007/s10339-023-01164-y29.

10. R. Carroll, M. Vukovic, M.I. Coco and D. Townsend (2023). Editorial: New ideas in language sciences: linguistics. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1289877, DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.128987730.

11. E. Delhaye, M.I. Coco, M.A., Bahri and A. Raposo (2023). Typicality in the brain during semantic and episodic memory decisions. Neuropsychologia, 184, 108529, DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2023.10852931.

12. M.I. Coco, C. Maruta, I. Pavão Martins, S. Della Sala. Locations of objects are better remembered than their identities in naturalistic scenes: An eye-tracking experiment in mild cognitive impairment (2022). Neuropsychology, 37(7), 741-752, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/neu00008032.

13. G. D'Innocenzo, S. Della Sala and M.I. Coco. Similar mechanisms of temporary bindings for identity and location of objects in healthy ageing: An eye-tracking study with naturalistic scenes (2022). Scientific Reports, 1;12(1):11163. DOI:https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-1486252/v133.

14. M.I. Coco, D. Mønster, G. Leonardi, R. Dale and S. Wallot. Unidimensional and multidimensional methods for recurrence quantification analysis with crqa (2021). The R-Journal, 13(1), 145-163. DOI 10.32614/RJ-2021-06234.

15. M. I. Coco, G. Merendino, G. Zappala and S. Della Sala (2021). Semantic interference mechanisms on long-term visual memory and their eye-movement signatures in Mild Cognitive Impairment. Neuropsychology, 35(5), 498-513. DOI: 10.1037/neu000073435.

16. F. Cimminella, G. D'Innocenzo, S. Della Sala, A. Iavarone, C. Musella, and M.I. Coco. Preserved extra-foveal processing of object semantics in Alzheimer's disease (2022). Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry and Neurology, 35(3), 418-433. DOI: 10.1177/0891988721101605636.

17. A. Mikhailova, A. Raposo, S. Della Sala and M. I. Coco (2021). Eye-movements reveal semantic interference effects during the encoding of naturalistic scenes in long-term memory. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 28(5), 1601-1614. DOI: 10.3758/s13423-021-01920-137.

18. M. Pagnotta, K. Laland and M.I. Coco (2020) Attentional coordination in demonstrator-observer dyads facilitates learning and predicts performance in a novel manual task. Cognition 201(104314). DOI:10.1016/j.cognition.2020.10431438.

19. M.I. Coco, A. Nuthmann and O. Dimigen (2020) Fixation-related brain potential during semantic integration of object-scene information. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience 32(4), 571-589. DOI:10.1162/jocn_a_0150439.

20. F. Cimminella, S. Della Sala and M.I. Coco (2020) Extra-foveal processing of object semantics guides early overt attention during visual search. Attention, Perception and & Psychophysics, 82, 655-670. DOI: 10.3758/s13414-019-01906-140.

21. M.T. Borges, E.G, Fernandes and M.I. Coco (2020) Age-related differences during visual search: the role of contextual expectations and top-down control mechanisms. Aging. Neuropsychology and Cognition, 27(4), 489-516 DOI: 110.1080/13825585.2019.163225641.

22. E.G., Fernandes, M.I. Coco and H.P. Branigan (2019) When Eye Fixation might not reflect Online Ambiguity Resolution: A study on Structural Priming using the Visual-World Paradigm in Portuguese. Journal of Cultural Cognitive Science, 3, 65-87 DOI: 10.1007/s41809-019-00021-942.

23. M.I. Coco, T. Brady, G. Merendino, G. Zappala, A. Baddeley, and S. Della Sala, (2018), Forgetting in normal and pathological ageing as a function of semantic interference, Alzheimer's and Dementia, 14(7), 915-916, DOI: 10.1016/j.jalz.2018.06.117943.

24. N.F., Duarte, J., Tasevski, M., Rakovic, M.I. Coco, A. Billard and J. Santos-Victor, (2018) Action Reading: Anticipating the Intentions of Humans and Robots. IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters, 3(4), 2377-3766 DOI:10.1109/LRA.2018.286156944.

25. M., Garraffa, M.I. Coco and H.P. Branigan (2018) Impaired implicit learning of syntactic structure in children with developmental language disorder: Evidence from syntactic priming. Autism & Developmental Language Impairments, 3, 1-15 DOI: 10.1177/239694151877993945.

26. M.I. Coco, R. Dale and F. Keller (2018) Performance in a Collaborative Search Task: the Role of Feedback and Cognitive Alignment. Topics in Cognitive Science, 10, 55-79 DOI: 10.1111/tops.1230046.

27. M.I. Coco, S. Araújo, and K.M. Petersson (2017) Disentangling Stimulus Plausibility and Contextual Congruency: Electro-Physiological Evidence for Differential Cognitive Dynamics. Neuropsychologia, 96, 50-163, DOI:10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2016.12.00847.

28. C. Souza, M.I. Coco, S. Pinho, C.N. Filipe and J.C. Carmo (2016) Contextual effects on visual short-term memory in High Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorder, 32, 64-69, DOI: 10.1016/j.rasd.2016.09.00348

29. M. I. Coco, L. Badino, P. Cipresso, A. Chirico, E, Ferrari, G. Riva, A. Gaggioli, A. D'Ausilio (2016) Multiscale behavioral synchronization in a joint tower-building task, IEEE: Transactions on Cognitive and Developmental Systems, 99, DOI: 10.1109/TCDS.2016.254573949.

30. M.I. Coco, N. Duran (2016). When Expectancies Collide: Action Dynamics reveal the Interaction of Plausibility and Congruency, Psychonomic Bulletin and Review, 23(6), 1920-1931. DOI: 10.3758/s13423-016-1022-950

31. M.I. Coco, F. Keller, G.L. Malcolm (2016) Anticipation in Real-world Scenes: The Role of Visual Context and Visual Memory, Cognitive Science, 40,1995-2024, DOI: 10.1111/cogs.1231351.

32. M.I. Coco and F. Keller (2015) Integrating Mechanisms of Visual Guidance in Naturalistic Language Production, Cognitive Processing, 16(2), 131-150. DOI: 10.1007/s10339-014-0642-052.

33. M. Garraffa, M.I. Coco and H.P. Branigan (2015) Effects of Immediate and Cumulative Syntactic Experience in Language Impairment: Evidence from Priming of Subject Relatives in Children with SLI, Language Learning and Development, 11(1), 18-40. DOI: 10.1080/15475441.2013.87627753

34. M.I. Coco and F. Keller (2015) The Interaction of Visual and Linguistic Saliency during Syntactic Ambiguity Resolution, Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 68(1), 46-74. DOI: 10.1080/17470218.2014.93647554.

35. M.I. Coco and R. Dale (2014) Cross-Recurrence Quantification Analysis of Categorical and Continuous Time-Series: an R-Package. Frontiers in Psychology, Quantitative Psychology and Measurement, 5:510. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2014.0051055.

36. M.I. Coco and F. Keller (2014) Classification of Visual and Linguistic Tasks using Eye-Movement Features. Journal of Vision, 14(3):11. DOI: 10.1167/14.3.1156.

37. M.I. Coco, G.L. Malcolm and F. Keller (2014) The Interplay of Bottom-Up and Top-Down Mechanisms in Visual Guidance during Object Naming, The Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 67(6):1096-1120. DOI: 10.1080/17470218.2013.84484357.

38. A.D.F. Clarke, M.I. Coco and F. Keller (2013). The Impact of Attentional, Linguistic and Visual Features during Object Naming, Frontiers in Psychology, 4:927. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2013.0092758.

39. M.I. Coco and F. Keller, (2012) Scan Patterns Predict Sentence Production in the Cross-Modal Processing of Visual Scenes. Cognitive Science, 36(7), 1204-1223. DOI: 10.1111/j.1551-6709.2012.01246.x59.

Finanziamenti e Progetti di Ricerca (Grants)

Il Prof. Coco è stato ed è tuttora Principal Investigator (PI), Co-PI o Fellow di numerosi progetti di ricerca competitivi a livello nazionale e internazionale, che testimoniano l'eccellenza della Sua attività di ricerca.

PRIN 2022 (Ministero dell'Università e della Ricerca, Italia)
Ruolo: Principal Investigator (PI).
Titolo: The attentional curve of forgetting in younger and older adults: experimental and computational insights.

PRIN PNRR 2022 (Ministero dell'Università e della Ricerca, Italia)
Ruolo: Co-Principal Investigator (Co-PI).
Titolo: Identifying biomarkers of Lewy body dementia in the prodromal stage: a combined eye-tracking and EEG approach.

Ateneo Progetti Ricerca Grande (Sapienza Università di Roma)
Ruolo: Principal Investigator (PI).Titolo: Enhancing digital neuropsychological assessments with attentional and motor-responses using self-adaptive interactive systems.

POR Lisboa, FEDER (Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia e Unione Europea)
Ruolo: Principal Investigator (PI).
Titolo: In search of lost memory: Experimental Evidences and Computational Models of Visual Memory in Healthy and Neuro-Degenerate Ageing.

Early Career Fellowship, Leverhulme Trust UK
Ruolo: Fellow.
Titolo: Formation maintenance and use of top-down knowledge in Alzheimer Dementia.

Ateneo Progetti Ricerca Medio (Sapienza Università di Roma)
Ruolo: Principal Investigator (PI).
Titolo: Uncovering the attentional curve of forgetting in healthy and pathological ageing.

Post-Doctoral Fellowship (Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia)
Ruolo: Fellow.
Titolo: Neural Correlates of Context Violation during Synchronous Visual and Linguistic Processing.

PhD scholarship (University of Edinburgh)
Ruolo: Doctoral student

Partecipazione a Conferenze Internazionali

Il Prof. Coco ha una vasta attività di disseminazione scientifica, con 18 Conference Proceedings (articoli completi di 6 pagine, peer-reviewed) in conferenze di alto profilo della comunità di Scienze Cognitive (ad esempio Cognitive Science Society - CogSci).
• Totale Proceedings Peer-Reviewed: 18
• Primo Autore: 8 pubblicazioni.
• Ultimo Autore: 9 pubblicazioni, spesso in collaborazione con studenti e post-doc.

A queste si aggiungono oltre 60 tra talk e poster presentati in conferenze internazionali specializzate (es. Vision Science Society, European Conference on Eye Movement, International Conference on Cognitive Neuroscience).

Supervisione di Dottorandi e Post-doc

Il Prof. Coco è attivamente impegnato nella formazione di giovani ricercatori, avendo supervisionato un totale di 13 tra Post-doc e Dottorandi in Italia e all'estero.
• Post-doc (Ricercatori Post-dottorato): 4 (tutti come Supervisore Principale).
• Dottorati di Ricerca (PhD): 9 totali:
◦ Supervisore Principale (Supervisor): 6 Dottorandi.
◦ Co-supervisore (Co-supervisor): 3 Dottorandi.