Publications

Abstract Background: Music performance anxiety (MPA) is an issue concerning musicians from all levels but is still a rather neglected topic in the education and employment of musicians. This study investigated the link between self-esteem, MPA, and depression within a German-speaking sample of musicians of different professions. The underlying question of this study was generated during …

Low Self-Esteem and Music Performance Anxiety Can Predict Depression in Musicians Read More »

Abstract Antipsychotics are thought to improve schizophrenia symptoms through the antagonism of dopamine D2 receptors, which are abundant mainly in subcortical regions. By introducing functional gradient, a novel approach to identify hierarchy alterations by capturing the similarity of whole brain fucntional connectivity (FC) profiles between two voxels, the present study aimed to characterize how the …

Disrupted subcortical functional connectome gradient in drug-naïve first-episode schizophrenia and the normalization effects after antipsychotic treatment Read More »

Abstract Schizophrenia (SZ) is associated with an increased risk of life-long cognitive impairments, age-related chronic disease, and premature mortality. We investigated evidence for advanced brain ageing in adult SZ patients, and whether this was associated with clinical characteristics in a prospective meta-analytic study conducted by the ENIGMA Schizophrenia Working Group. The study included data from …

Brain ageing in schizophrenia: evidence from 26 international cohorts via the ENIGMA Schizophrenia consortium Read More »

Affected beliefs Researchers at Lübeck University show links between emotions and the formation of self-efficacy beliefs Why do some people believe that they are good at something and others not, while performing exactly similar? A recent study from Lübeck University, Germany, finds that emotional experiences are linked to the way people establish novel beliefs about …

How do we arrive at our beliefs “Neurocomputational mechanisms of affected beliefs” out now! Read More »

Abstract Structural MRI studies in first-episode psychosis and the clinical high-risk state have consistently shown volumetric abnormalities. Aim of the present study was to introduce radiomics texture features in identification of psychosis. Radiomics texture features describe the interrelationship between voxel intensities across multiple spatial scales capturing the hidden information of underlying disease dynamics in addition …

Identification of texture MRI brain abnormalities on first-episode psychosis and clinical high-risk subjects using explainable artificial intelligence Read More »

Abstract Background: Little is known about how substance use affects health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in depressed individuals. Here, associations between alcohol consumption and HRQOL in hospital and ambulatory care patients with past-year depressive symptoms are analyzed. Method: The sample consisted of 590 participants (26.8% non-drinkers) recruited via consecutive screenings. Individuals with alcohol use disorders were excluded. …

Association between Alcohol Consumption and Health-Related Quality of Life among Hospital and Ambulatory Care Patients with Past Year Depressive Symptoms Read More »

Abstract Internet and print media are frequently used by laypersons to learn about health issues. The objective of this study was to find out whether people with mental disorders showed a special pattern of usage. Where and why do they seek for information about their disorder? How do they experience their search? In semi-standardized interviews, …

[The Well-informed Patient: a Survey on Patients’ Initiative in Seeking Disease-related Information] Read More »

Abstract Based on neuroimaging data, the insula is considered important for people to empathize with the pain of others. Here, we present intracranial electroencephalographic (iEEG) recordings and single-cell recordings from the human insula while seven epilepsy patients rated the intensity of a woman’s painful experiences seen in short movie clips. Pain had to be deduced …

Intracranial human recordings reveal association between neural activity and perceived intensity for the pain of others in the insula Read More »

Abstract Introduction: Excessive internet use can lead to problems for some individuals. The WHO has introduced Gaming Disorder in the International Classification of Diseases-11 (ICD-11). Previous research has shown that other internet applications can cause serious mental health problems as well. It is important to provide measures of prevention, early intervention and therapy for internet use …

Study protocol for a randomised controlled trial of an e-health stepped care approach for the treatment of internet use disorders versus a placebo condition: the SCAPIT study Read More »

Abstract Subtle subjective visual dysfunctions (VisDys) are reported by about 50% of patients with schizophrenia and are suggested to predict psychosis states. Deeper insight into VisDys, particularly in early psychosis states, could foster the understanding of basic disease mechanisms mediating susceptibility to psychosis, and thereby inform preventive interventions. We systematically investigated the relationship between VisDys …

The impact of visual dysfunctions in recent-onset psychosis and clinical high-risk state for psychosis Read More »