A5043322660- Functional Brain Connectivity Studies
- Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
- Neural dynamics and brain function
- Memory and Neural Mechanisms
- Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
- Advanced Neuroimaging Techniques and Applications
- Gaze Tracking and Assistive Technology
- Advanced MRI Techniques and Applications
- Visual and Cognitive Learning Processes
- Mental Health Research Topics
- Memory Processes and Influences
- Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior
- Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
- Psychology of Moral and Emotional Judgment
- Psychosomatic Disorders and Their Treatments
- Heart Rate Variability and Autonomic Control
- EEG and Brain-Computer Interfaces
- Visual Attention and Saliency Detection
- Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
- Information Retrieval and Search Behavior
- Genetic Associations and Epidemiology
- Neurobiology and Insect Physiology Research
- Action Observation and Synchronization
- Schizophrenia research and treatment
- Evolutionary Psychology and Human Behavior
Heidelberg University
2015-2025
University Hospital Heidelberg
2015-2025
Central Institute of Mental Health
2016-2025
Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Heidelberg-Mannheim
2015-2025
Heidelberg Academy of Sciences and Humanities
2023-2025
University Medical Centre Mannheim
2017
Max Planck Society
2010-2011
Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine
2010
Abstract Substance use disorders (SUDs) are seen as a continuum ranging from goal‐directed and hedonic drug to loss of control over intake with aversive consequences for mental physical health social functioning. The main goals our interdisciplinary German collaborative research centre on Losing Regaining Control Drug Intake (ReCoDe) (i) study triggers (drug cues, stressors, priming) modifying factors (age, gender, activity, cognitive functions, childhood adversity, factors, such loneliness...
Electroencephalography (EEG) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) have been used to study the neural correlates of reward anticipation, but interrelation EEG fMRI measures remains unknown. The goal present was investigate this relationship in response a well established anticipation paradigm using simultaneous EEG-fMRI recording healthy human subjects. Analysis causal interactions between thalamus (THAL), ventral-striatum (VS), supplementary motor area (SMA), both mediator...
Context: Schizophrenia is the collective term for a heterogeneous group of mental disorders with still obscure biological basis.In particular, specific contribution risk or candidate gene variants to complex schizophrenic phenotype largely unknown.Objective: To prepare ground novel "phenomics" approach, unique schizophrenia patient database was established by GRAS (Göttingen Research Association Schizophrenia), designed allow association genetic information quantifiable phenotypes.Because...
Real-time functional magnetic resonance imaging neurofeedback (rtfMRI NFB) is a promising method for targeted regulation of pathological brain processes in mental disorders. But most NFB approaches so far have used relatively restricted regional activation as target, which might not address the complexity underlying network changes. Aiming towards advancing novel treatment tools disorders like schizophrenia, we developed large-scale connectivity-based rtfMRI approach targeting dorsolateral...
Abstract While fMRI activation studies contrasting task conditions regularly assess the whole brain, this is usually not true for analyzing task‐dependent brain connectivity changes by psychophysiological interactions (PPI). Here we combine standard PPI (sPPI) and generalized (gPPI) with a priori parcellation spatially constrained normalized cut spectral clustering (NCUT) to analyze in manner, compare results multiseed conventional analyses over all peaks an episodic memory recall task. We...
Abstract Brain–computer interfaces provide conscious access to neural activity by means of brain‐derived feedback (“neurofeedback”). An individual's abilities monitor and control are two necessary processes for effective neurofeedback therapy, yet their underlying functional neuroanatomy is still being debated. In this study, healthy subjects received visual from amygdala response negative pictures. Activation connectivity were analyzed disentangle the role brain regions in different...
Abstract Background Schizophrenia is the collective term for an exclusively clinically diagnosed, heterogeneous group of mental disorders with still obscure biological roots. Based on assumption that valuable information about relevant genetic and environmental disease mechanisms can be obtained by association studies patient cohorts ≥ 1000 patients, if performed detailed clinical datasets quantifiable readouts, we generated a new schizophrenia data base, GRAS (Göttingen Research Association...
According to prevailing neurobiological theories of addiction, altered function in neural reward circuitry is a central mechanism alcohol dependence. Growing evidence postulates that the ventral striatum (VS), as well areas prefrontal cortex, contribute increased incentive salience alcohol-associated cues, diminished motivation pursue non-drug rewards and weakened strength inhibitory cognitive control, which are addiction. The present study aims investigate response functional connectivity...
Objectives The human brain is organized into large‐scale networks that dynamically interact with each other. Extensive evidence has shown characteristic changes in certain during transitions from internally directed to externally attention. aim of the present study was compare these context‐dependent network interactions emotion regulation and examine potential alterations remitted unipolar bipolar disorder patients. Methods We employed a multi‐region generalized psychophysiological analysis...
Belief processing and self-referential have been consistently associated with cortical midline structures, regions such as the vmPFC implicated in general belief processing. The neural correlates of are yet to be investigated. In this fMRI study, we presented 120 statements trait adjectives N = 27 healthy participants, who subsequently judged whether they believed these applied themselves, a close person, or public person. Thereafter, participants rated their certainty judgment. Expectedly,...
Abstract Early life stress is associated with alterations in brain function and connectivity during affective processing, especially the fronto-limbic pathway. However, most of previous studies were limited to a small set priori-selected regions did not address impact timing on functional connectivity. Using data from longitudinal birth cohort study ( n = 161, 87 females, mean age (SD) 32.2(0.3)), we investigated associations between different time points exposure We measured stressful...
Abstract Background Education outside the classroom (EOtC) is considered beneficial to children's physical and mental health. Especially, stress resilience has been linked nature experience. Aims This study experimentally explored effects of pupils' autonomy support (AUT) activity (PA) on their biological responses brain development in EOtC. Sample The comprised 48 fifth sixth graders. Methods intervention consisted one day/week taught a forest over school year. Structural magnetic resonance...
Abstract Task‐related effects in functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data are usually analyzed with local activation approaches or integrative connectivity approaches, for example, by psychophysiological interaction (PPI) analysis. While both often applied to the same set, a systematic combination of results whole‐brain (WB) perspective is rarely conducted and relationship between task‐dependent relatively unexplored. Here, we combined brain graph theoretical analysis WB‐PPI an...
Abstract Hyperconnectivity of the default-mode network (DMN) is one most widely replicated neuroimaging findings in major depressive disorder (MDD). Further, there growing evidence for a central role lateral habenula (LHb) pathophysiology MDD. There preliminary linking LHb and DMN, but no causal relationship has been shown to date. We combined optogenetics functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), establish relationship, using an animal model treatment-resistant depression, namely...
Abstract Background Studies with healthy participants and patients respiratory diseases suggest a relation between respiration mood. The aim of the present analyses was to investigate whether emotionally challenged remitted depressed show higher pattern variability (RPV) this is related mood, clinical outcome increased default mode network connectivity. Methods To challenge participants, sad mood induced keywords personal negative life events in individuals depression [recurrent major...
Abstract Real-time fMRI neurofeedback (rt-fMRI NF) is a promising non-invasive technique that enables volitional control of usually covert brain processes. While most rt-fMRI NF studies so far have demonstrated the ability method to evoke changes in activity and improve symptoms mental disorders, recently evolving field network-based functional connectivity (FC) NF. However, FC has methodological challenges such as respirational artefacts could potentially bias training if not controlled. In...
Abstract Null hypothesis significance testing is the major statistical procedure in fMRI, but provides only a rather limited picture of effects data set. When sample size and power low relying on strict may lead to host false negative findings. In contrast, with very large sets virtually every voxel might become significant. It thus desirable complement procedures like inferiority equivalence tests that allow formally compare effect sizes within between offer novel approaches obtain insight...
Dynamic causal modeling (DCM) is an analysis technique that has been successfully used to infer about directed connectivity between brain regions based on imaging data such as functional magnetic resonance (fMRI). Most variants of DCM for fMRI rely a simple bilinear differential equation neural activation, making it difficult interpret the results in terms local dynamics. In this work, we introduce modification by replacing with non-linear Wilson-Cowan and use Bayesian Model Comparison (BMC)...
Belief, defined by William James as the mental state or function of cognizing reality, is a core psychological with strong influence on emotion and behavior. Furthermore, aberrant beliefs about world oneself play important roles in disorders. The underlying processes belief have been matter long debate philosophy psychology, modern neuroimaging techniques can provide insight into neural processes. Here, we conducted functional magnetic resonance imaging study N = 30 healthy participants...
The functional connectome is organized into several separable intrinsic connectivity networks (ICNs) that are thought to be the building blocks of mind. However, it currently not well understood how these engaged by emotionally salient information, and such engagement fits emotion theories. current study assessed ICNs respond during processing angry fearful faces in a large sample (N = 843) examined changes relate ICNs. All were modulated emotional showed interactions, finding which line...