Psychophysiology and optical imaging

The Psychophysiology and Optical Imaging group is concerned with the measurement of brain function and peripheral physiological variables (e.g. skin conductance) in psychiatric patients (e.g. schizophrenia, affective disorders, anxiety disorders, ADHD, dementia) and healthy controls.

Methods

The aim of the investigations is the recording of pathophysiologically relevant processes as well as the measurement and prediction of changes in the context of therapeutic interventions. Electrophysiological methods (electroencephalography, EEG; electromyography, EMG; evoked potentials, EP; measurement of electrodermal activity, EDA) as well as the technique of functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), an optical method of functional imaging, are used to non-invasively record the oxygenation of brain tissue with good temporal resolution.

In terms of content, much of the current research focuses on frontal brain function, with executive control functions such as inhibition, action control and monitoring, and conflict processing. In addition, we are interested in investigating higher-level processes that include working memory, approach and avoidance behavior, and emotion regulation. Another focus of the research group is the combination of methods of different procedures, which serves the holistic understanding of the pathophysiology of psychiatric diseases as well as the mechanisms of action of corresponding therapeutic interventions.

Contact

Management:

frontend.sr-only_#{element.contextual_1.children.icon}: Dr. phil. Ann-Christine Ehlis, Dipl.-Psych.

frontend.sr-only_#{element.contextual_1.children.icon}: +49 7071 29-87103

frontend.sr-only_#{element.contextual_1.children.icon}: 07071 29-4141

E-mail address: ann-christine.ehlis@med.uni-tuebingen.de

frontend.sr-only_#{element.contextual_1.children.icon}: Prof. Dr. med. Andreas J. Fallgatter

More about the person

frontend.sr-only_#{element.contextual_1.children.icon}: Internships / Theses: Contact us to schedule an interview to get to know each other better.

Application information for internships and theses

Secretariat:

frontend.sr-only_#{element.contextual_1.children.icon}: Diana Thoma

frontend.sr-only_#{element.contextual_1.children.icon}: +49 7071 29-86119

E-mail address: Diana.Thoma@med.uni-tuebingen.de

frontend.sr-only_#{element.contextual_1.children.icon}: Calwerstraße 14
72076 Tübingen

Participation in studies

Various scientific experiments are carried out in our laboratories. For this purpose, we need volunteers to participate in these experiments. Below you will find information on current experiments. If you are interested, please contact us at the address given.

Learn more

Funding

CIN Pool Project (No. 2010-11): "Action monitoring and response control in heavy and light social drinkers" (funding period: 2011-2013)
BMBF-Paniknetz Subproject: "Clinical and neurobiological effects of NIRS-controlled transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) in patients with panic disorder during treatment with cognitive behavioural therapy (KVT)" (Münster/Tübingen)
Investigator Sponsored Study: "Electrophysiological measurement of anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) function in schizophrenic patients treated with Seroquel® or Fluanxol®" (D1443L00016)
IZKF Tübingen - Fortüne (Fortüne application no. 2013-0-0): "Neurobiological basis of emotion recognition from human gait sequences in healthy individuals and patients with mental illness" (funding period: 2011-2013)
IZKF Tübingen - Fortüne (Fortüne application no. 2091-1-0): "High Resolution Structural Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Anxiety Disorders" (funding period: 2013-2015)
Graduate School GSC 1028: "Learning, Educational Achievement, and Life Course Development (LEAD): An Integrated Research and Training Program" (Excellence Initiative of the German Federal and State Governments - Second Program Phase; funding period: 2012-2017).
DFG proposal (FA 361/21-1): "Neurofeedback for adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): a placebo-controlled feasibility study comparing slow cortical potential feedback with near-infrared feedback" (funding period: 2013-2016)
IZKF Junior Research Group (2115-0-0): "Frontal brain functions in adult ADHD - Theoretical differentiation, neurophysiological basis and innovative treatment procedures" (funding period: 2013-2016)
DFG proposal (CR 110/8-1): "Embodied learning of numerosity - math with a mat" (funding period: 2013-2015)
DFG proposal (EH 388/2-1): "Cognitive control and the prefrontal cortex: functional measurements and effects of neuromodulation in healthy subjects and a high-impulse risk sample" (funding period: 2016-2019)

Intramural cooperation

Psychiatric Neurophysiology, UKPP Tübingen (Prof. Dr. Christian Plewnia)
Cognitive Neuropsychiatry, UKPP Tübingen (Dr. Alexander Rapp)
Section for Addiction Medicine and Addiction Research, UKPP Tübingen (Prof. Dr. Anil Batra, Dr. Jamil El Kasmi)
Working Group on Dementia, Memory Clinic, UKPP Tübingen (Prof. Dr. Gerhard W. Eschweiler)
Affective Neuropsychiatry, UKPP Tübingen (Prof. Dr. Dirk Wildgruber, PD Dr. Thomas Ethofer)
Dipl.-Psych. Stephanie Sickinger, UKPP Tübingen
Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy (Prof. Dr. Stephan Zipfel, Dr. Katrin Giel)
Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (Prof. Dr. Tobias Renner)
High-field magnetic resonance, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, University of Tübingen (Prof. Dr. Klaus Scheffler, Prof. Dr. Uwe Klose, Dr. Michael Erb)
Empirical Inference, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, University of Tübingen (Prof. Dr. Bernhard Schölkopf, Dr. Karsten Borgwardt, Dr.-Ing. Moritz Grosse-Wentrup)
Cognitive Neurology, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research (Prof. Dr. Martin A. Giese, Dipl.-Inf. Andrea Christensen)
Neuropsychology, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research (Prof. Dr. Dr. Hans-Otto Karnath, Piret Rebassoo, M.Sc.)
Neurodegenerative Diseases, Center for Neurology and Hertie-Institute for Clinical Brain Research (Prof. Dr. Daniela Berg, PD Dr. Walter Maetzler, Dr. Tobias Wächter, Dr. Jana Godau)
Institute for Medical Psychology and Behavioural Neurobiology, University of Tübingen (Prof. Dr. Niels Birbaumer, PD Dr. Ute Strehl, Dr. Ranganatha Sitaram, Dr. Mohit Rana, Dr. Massimiliano Rea, Dipl.-Phys. Markus Schürholz, Dipl.-Psych. Anna-Maria Werner, Dipl.-Psych. Kerstin Mayer, Sarah Wykoff, M.A.)
AG Knowledge Acquisition with Hypermedia, Leibniz Institute for Knowledge Media (IWM), Tübingen (Prof. Dr. Peter Gerjets)
Diagnostics and Cognitive Neuropsychology, University of Tübingen (Prof. Dr. Hans-Christoph Nürk)
Knowledge Construction Group, Leibniz Institute for Knowledge Media (IWM), Tübingen (Prof. Dr. Ulrike Cress)
ScienceCampus Tübingen: Education in Information Environments (Prof. Dr. Dr. Friedrich W. Hesse)
School Psychology, University of Tübingen (Prof. Dr. Caterina Gawrilow, Dr. Johanna Schmid)

Extramural cooperation

University Hospital for Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Würzburg (Prof. Dr. Jürgen Deckert, Prof. Dr. Klaus-Peter Lesch, Prof. Dr. Dr. Katharina Domschke, PD Dr. Martin J. Herrmann)
University Clinic for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Würzburg (Prof. Dr. Marcel Romanos, Prof. Dr. Andreas Warnke)
Clinic and Polyclinic for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Münster (Prof. Dr. med. Peter Zwanzger, Dipl.-Psych. Nadja Vennewald)
Tinnitus Center Regensburg, Clinic and Polyclinic for Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Regensburg (Dr. Martin Schecklmann)
AG Imaging in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health (Dr. Michael Plichta)
Lifespan Cognitive Neuroscience Lab, Department of General Psychology, University of Padua, Italy (Dr. Vincenza Tarantino, Prof. Dr. Patrizia Bisiacchi)
Department ofSocial and General Psychiatry, University of Zurich (PD Dr. med. Wolfram Kawohl, Florence Hagenmuller, M.Sc.)
Chair of Cognitive Psychology II, Goethe University Frankfurt/Main (PD Dr. Tim Hahn)
German Migraine and Headache Society e.V. (PD Dr. Tim Jürgens, Prof. Dr. Peter Kropp)

Selected publications

Barth, B., Rohe, T., Deppermann, S., Fallgatter, A. J. & Ehlis, A.-C. (in press). Neural oscillatory responses to performance monitoring differ between high- and low-impulsive individuals, but are unaffected by TMS. Human Brain Mapping.
Max, S. M., Schroeder, P. A., Blechert, J., Giel, K. E., Ehlis, A.-C. & Plewnia, C. (in press). Mind the food: behavioural characteristics and imaging signatures of the specific handling of food objects. Brain Structure and Functions.
Maier, M. J., Rosenbaum, D., Brüne, M., Fallgatter, A. J. & Ehlis, A.-C. (2021). The impact of TMS-enhanced cognitive control on forgiveness processes. Brain & Behavior.
Blum, L., Rosenbaum, D., Röben, B., Dehnen, K., Maetzler, W., Suenkel, U., Fallgatter, A. J., Ehlis, A.-C. & Metzger, F. G. (2021). Age-related deterioration of performance and increase of cortex activity comparing time- versus item-controlled fNIRS measurement. Scientific Reports, 11, 6766.
Blume, F., Dresler, T., Göllner, R., Ehlis, A.-C., Gawrilow, C. & Möller, K. (2021). Evaluating the relevance of basic numerical skills for mathematical achievement in secondary school using a within-task assessment approach. Acta Psychologica, 215, 103289.
Kropp, P., Niederberger, U. & Dresler, T. (2021). Biofeedback – Wirkungsweise und Anwendung am Beispiel von Kopfschmerzen. Psychotherapeut, 66, 163–172.

The team

Internships

In our research group it is possible to complete internships of several weeks. Here you can gain experience with different neuroscientific methods and actively support research in teamwork.

Requirements:

Age at least 18 years
friendly appearance
fun in teamwork
Flexibility regarding the tasks to be done

If you are interested, please contact us to arrange an interview to get to know each other better.

Theses

Within the framework of our research projects, it is possible to write various theses (bachelor's, master's, diploma, doctoral theses).

Requirements:

Study of medicine, psychology or field of neuro- / cognitive sciences
friendly manner in dealing with patients / test participants
Ability to do in-depth, independent scientific work.

Content of your application:

Letter of motivation
Tabular curriculum vitae
copies of certificates

If you are interested, please contact us to arrange an interview to get to know each other better. Applications are best sent by e-mail to Dr. phil. Ann-Christine Ehlis (preferably in pdf format).