@article{MadeiraGromerLatoschiketal.2021, author = {Madeira, Octavia and Gromer, Daniel and Latoschik, Marc Erich and Pauli, Paul}, title = {Effects of Acrophobic Fear and Trait Anxiety on Human Behavior in a Virtual Elevated Plus-Maze}, series = {Frontiers in Virtual Reality}, volume = {2}, journal = {Frontiers in Virtual Reality}, doi = {10.3389/frvir.2021.635048}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-258709}, year = {2021}, abstract = {The Elevated Plus-Maze (EPM) is a well-established apparatus to measure anxiety in rodents, i.e., animals exhibiting an increased relative time spent in the closed vs. the open arms are considered anxious. To examine whether such anxiety-modulated behaviors are conserved in humans, we re-translated this paradigm to a human setting using virtual reality in a Cave Automatic Virtual Environment (CAVE) system. In two studies, we examined whether the EPM exploration behavior of humans is modulated by their trait anxiety and also assessed the individuals' levels of acrophobia (fear of height), claustrophobia (fear of confined spaces), sensation seeking, and the reported anxiety when on the maze. First, we constructed an exact virtual copy of the animal EPM adjusted to human proportions. In analogy to animal EPM studies, participants (N = 30) freely explored the EPM for 5 min. In the second study (N = 61), we redesigned the EPM to make it more human-adapted and to differentiate influences of trait anxiety and acrophobia by introducing various floor textures and lower walls of closed arms to the height of standard handrails. In the first experiment, hierarchical regression analyses of exploration behavior revealed the expected association between open arm avoidance and Trait Anxiety, an even stronger association with acrophobic fear. In the second study, results revealed that acrophobia was associated with avoidance of open arms with mesh-floor texture, whereas for trait anxiety, claustrophobia, and sensation seeking, no effect was detected. Also, subjects' fear rating was moderated by all psychometrics but trait anxiety. In sum, both studies consistently indicate that humans show no general open arm avoidance analogous to rodents and that human EPM behavior is modulated strongest by acrophobic fear, whereas trait anxiety plays a subordinate role. Thus, we conclude that the criteria for cross-species validity are met insufficiently in this case. Despite the exploratory nature, our studies provide in-depth insights into human exploration behavior on the virtual EPM.}, language = {en} } @article{WinterKernGalletal.2021, author = {Winter, Carla and Kern, Florian and Gall, Dominik and Latoschik, Marc Erich and Pauli, Paul and K{\"a}thner, Ivo}, title = {Immersive virtual reality during gait rehabilitation increases walking speed and motivation: a usability evaluation with healthy participants and individuals with multiple sclerosis and stroke}, series = {Journal of Neuroengineering and Rehabilitation}, volume = {18}, journal = {Journal of Neuroengineering and Rehabilitation}, number = {1}, issn = {1743-0003}, doi = {10.1186/s12984-021-00848-w}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-258698}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Background: The rehabilitation of gait disorders in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and stroke is often based on conventional treadmill training. Virtual reality (VR)-based treadmill training can increase motivation and improve therapy outcomes. The present study evaluated an immersive virtual reality application (using a head-mounted display, HMD) for gait rehabilitation with patients to (1) demonstrate its feasibility and acceptance and to (2) compare its short-term effects to a semi-immersive presentation (using a monitor) and a conventional treadmill training without VR to assess the usability of both systems and estimate the effects on walking speed and motivation. Methods: In a within-subjects study design, 36 healthy participants and 14 persons with MS or stroke participated in each of the three experimental conditions (VR via HMD, VR via monitor, treadmill training without VR). Results: For both groups, the walking speed in the HMD condition was higher than in treadmill training without VR and in the monitor condition. Healthy participants reported a higher motivation after the HMD condition as compared with the other conditions. Importantly, no side effects in the sense of simulator sickness occurred and usability ratings were high. No increases in heart rate were observed following the VR conditions. Presence ratings were higher for the HMD condition compared with the monitor condition for both user groups. Most of the healthy study participants (89\%) and patients (71\%) preferred the HMD-based training among the three conditions and most patients could imagine using it more frequently. Conclusions For the first time, the present study evaluated the usability of an immersive VR system for gait rehabilitation in a direct comparison with a semi-immersive system and a conventional training without VR with healthy participants and patients. The study demonstrated the feasibility of combining a treadmill training with immersive VR. Due to its high usability and low side effects, it might be particularly suited for patients to improve training motivation and training outcome e. g. the walking speed compared with treadmill training using no or only semi-immersive VR. Immersive VR systems still require specific technical setup procedures. This should be taken into account for specific clinical use-cases during a cost-benefit assessment.}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Klinke2022, author = {Klinke, Christopher Matthias}, title = {Experimental investigation of the effect of distal stress induction on threat conditioning in humans}, doi = {10.25972/OPUS-22556}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-225562}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2022}, abstract = {Stress constitutes a major risk factor for the development of psychiatric disorders, such as PTSD and anxiety disorders, by shifting the brain into a state of sensitization and makes it more vulnerable when being exposed to further aversive events. This was experimentally in-vestigated in rodents by examining the effect of a distal stress induction on threat conditioning, where stress impaired extinction learning and caused spontaneous recovery. However, this effect has never been experimentally investigated in humans, so far. Thus, the aim of this dissertation was to investigate the effect of distal stress on threat conditioning in humans. Therefore, two subsequent studies were conducted. For both studies, the threat conditioning paradigm comprised threat acquisition, extinction learning, and re-extinction. In the threat acquisition phase, two geometrical shapes were used as conditioned stimulus (CS), from which one (CS+) was paired with a painful electric stimulus (unconditioned stimulus, US), but not the other one (CS-). During extinction learning 24 h later and re-extinction seventeen days later, CSs were again presented but without any US delivery. In Study 1, 69 participants underwent either a stress (socially evaluated cold pressor test; SECPT) or sham protocol 10 days prior to threat conditioning. Furthermore, context effects were examined by placing the stress protocol in the same context (context-A stress, and sham group) or a different context (context-B stress group) than conditioning. Results revealed that the context-A, but not context-B, stress group displayed impaired safety learning (i.e. potenti-ation towards CS-) for startle response during threat acquisition. Moreover, the same stress group showed impaired threat extinction, evident in sustained CS discrimination in valence and arousal ratings during extinction learning, and memory recall. In sum, distal stress on the one hand impaired safety learning during threat conditioning on a level of startle response. On the other hand, stress impaired threat extinction on a level of ratings. Noteworthy, the effect of distal stress was only found when the stressor was placed in the same context as later threat learning. Hence, suggesting that the combination of stressor and stressor-associated context exerted the effect on threat extinction. In Study 2, it was examined if distal stress induction could also have an impact on threat and extinction processes without the necessity of context association. Therefore, the same stress (n = 45) or sham protocol (n = 44) as in Study 1 was conducted in a different context than and 24 h prior to a threat conditioning paradigm. Similar to Study 1, weakened extinction learning was found in fear ratings for the stress (vs. sham) group, which was indicated by persistent CS+/CS- differentiation after the first block of extinction trials. Alterations in safety learning towards the CS- during threat acquisition were only supported by significant correlations between stress measures on the stress day and conditioned startle response of the CS- during acquisition. Taken together, in two subsequent studies this dissertation provided first evidence of impaired threat extinction after distal stress induction in humans. Furthermore, impairments in safety learning, as can be observed in PTSD, were additionally demonstrated. Interestingly, the effects were boosted and more profound when associating the stressor to the later learning context. These results have clinical implications as they can be translated to the notion that prior stress exposure makes an individual more vulnerable for later aversive events.}, subject = {Stress}, language = {en} } @article{LiesnerHinzKunde2021, author = {Liesner, Marvin and Hinz, Nina-Alisa and Kunde, Wilfried}, title = {How Action Shapes Body Ownership Momentarily and Throughout the Lifespan}, series = {Frontiers in Human Neuroscience}, volume = {15}, journal = {Frontiers in Human Neuroscience}, issn = {1662-5161}, doi = {10.3389/fnhum.2021.697810}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-241869}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Objects which a human agent controls by efferent activities (such as real or virtual tools) can be perceived by the agent as belonging to his or her body. This suggests that what an agent counts as "body" is plastic, depending on what she or he controls. Yet there are possible limitations for such momentary plasticity. One of these limitations is that sensations stemming from the body (e.g., proprioception) and sensations stemming from objects outside the body (e.g., vision) are not integrated if they do not sufficiently "match". What "matches" and what does not is conceivably determined by long-term experience with the perceptual changes that body movements typically produce. Children have accumulated less sensorimotor experience than adults have. Consequently, they express higher flexibility to integrate body-internal and body-external signals, independent of their "match" as suggested by rubber hand illusion studies. However, children's motor performance in tool use is more affected by mismatching body-internal and body-external action effects than that of adults, possibly because of less developed means to overcome such mismatches. We review research on perception-action interactions, multisensory integration, and developmental psychology to build bridges between these research fields. By doing so, we account for the flexibility of the sense of body ownership for actively controlled events and its development through ontogeny. This gives us the opportunity to validate the suggested mechanisms for generating ownership by investigating their effects in still developing and incomplete stages in children. We suggest testable predictions for future studies investigating both body ownership and motor skills throughout the lifespan.}, language = {en} } @article{GrevingRichter2021, author = {Greving, Carla Elisabeth and Richter, Tobias}, title = {Beyond the Distributed Practice Effect: Is Distributed Learning Also Effective for Learning With Non-repeated Text Materials?}, series = {Frontiers in Psychology}, volume = {12}, journal = {Frontiers in Psychology}, issn = {1664-1078}, doi = {10.3389/fpsyg.2021.685245}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-247944}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Distributed learning is often recommended as a general learning strategy, but previous research has established its benefits mainly for learning with repeated materials. In two experiments, we investigated distributed learning with complementary text materials. 77 (Experiment 1) and 130 (Experiment 2) seventh graders read two texts, massed vs. distributed, by 1 week (Experiment 1) or 15 min (Experiment 2). Learning outcomes were measured immediately and 1 week later and metacognitive judgments of learning were assessed. In Experiment 1, distributed learning was perceived as more difficult than massed learning. In both experiments, massed learning led to better outcomes immediately after learning but learning outcomes were lower after 1 week. No such decrease occurred for distributed learning, yielding similar outcomes for massed and distributed learning after 1 week. In sum, no benefits of distributed learning vs. massed learning were found, but distributed learning might lower the decrease in learning outcomes over time.}, language = {en} } @article{HerzogAndreattaSchneideretal.2021, author = {Herzog, Katharina and Andreatta, Marta and Schneider, Kristina and Schiele, Miriam A. and Domschke, Katharina and Romanos, Marcel and Deckert, J{\"u}rgen and Pauli, Paul}, title = {Reducing Generalization of Conditioned Fear: Beneficial Impact of Fear Relevance and Feedback in Discrimination Training}, series = {Frontiers in Psychology}, volume = {12}, journal = {Frontiers in Psychology}, issn = {1664-1078}, doi = {10.3389/fpsyg.2021.665711}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-239970}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Anxiety patients over-generalize fear, possibly because of an incapacity to discriminate threat and safety signals. Discrimination trainings are promising approaches for reducing such fear over-generalization. Here we investigated the efficacy of a fear-relevant vs. a fear-irrelevant discrimination training on fear generalization and whether the effects are increased with feedback during training. Eighty participants underwent two fear acquisition blocks, during which one face (conditioned stimulus, CS+), but not another face (CS-), was associated with a female scream (unconditioned stimulus, US). During two generalization blocks, both CSs plus four morphs (generalization stimuli, GS1-GS4) were presented. Between these generalization blocks, half of the participants underwent a fear-relevant discrimination training (discrimination between CS+ and the other faces) with or without feedback and the other half a fear-irrelevant discrimination training (discrimination between the width of lines) with or without feedback. US expectancy, arousal, valence ratings, and skin conductance responses (SCR) indicated successful fear acquisition. Importantly, fear-relevant vs. fear-irrelevant discrimination trainings and feedback vs. no feedback reduced generalization as reflected in US expectancy ratings independently from one another. No effects of training condition were found for arousal and valence ratings or SCR. In summary, this is a first indication that fear-relevant discrimination training and feedback can improve the discrimination between threat and safety signals in healthy individuals, at least for learning-related evaluations, but not evaluations of valence or (physiological) arousal.}, language = {en} } @article{RodriguesWeissHewigetal.2021, author = {Rodrigues, Johannes and Weiß, Martin and Hewig, Johannes and Allen, John J. B.}, title = {EPOS: EEG Processing Open-Source Scripts}, series = {Frontiers in Neuroscience}, volume = {15}, journal = {Frontiers in Neuroscience}, issn = {1662-453X}, doi = {10.3389/fnins.2021.660449}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-240221}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Background: Since the replication crisis, standardization has become even more important in psychological science and neuroscience. As a result, many methods are being reconsidered, and researchers' degrees of freedom in these methods are being discussed as a potential source of inconsistencies across studies. New Method: With the aim of addressing these subjectivity issues, we have been working on a tutorial-like EEG (pre-)processing pipeline to achieve an automated method based on the semi-automated analysis proposed by Delorme and Makeig. Results: Two scripts are presented and explained step-by-step to perform basic, informed ERP and frequency-domain analyses, including data export to statistical programs and visual representations of the data. The open-source software EEGlab in MATLAB is used as the data handling platform, but scripts based on code provided by Mike Cohen (2014) are also included. Comparison with existing methods: This accompanying tutorial-like article explains and shows how the processing of our automated pipeline affects the data and addresses, especially beginners in EEG-analysis, as other (pre)-processing chains are mostly targeting rather informed users in specialized areas or only parts of a complete procedure. In this context, we compared our pipeline with a selection of existing approaches. Conclusion: The need for standardization and replication is evident, yet it is equally important to control the plausibility of the suggested solution by data exploration. Here, we provide the community with a tool to enhance the understanding and capability of EEG-analysis. We aim to contribute to comprehensive and reliable analyses for neuro-scientific research.}, language = {en} } @article{WeissPaeleckeHewig2021, author = {Weiß, Martin and Paelecke, Marko and Hewig, Johannes}, title = {In Your Face(t) — Personality Traits Interact With Prototypical Personality Faces in Economic Decision Making}, series = {Frontiers in Psychology}, volume = {12}, journal = {Frontiers in Psychology}, issn = {1664-1078}, doi = {10.3389/fpsyg.2021.652506}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-237051}, year = {2021}, abstract = {In everyday life, assumptions about our peers' as well as our own personality shape social interactions. We investigated whether self-rated personality and inferences drawn from partners' faces influence economic decisions. Participants (N = 285) played the trust game in the role of the trustor as well as the ultimatum game in the role of the proposer and interacted with trustees and receivers represented by prototypical personality faces. Participants also evaluated both their own traits and the personality of the faces. In the trust game, trustees represented by faces rated higher on agreeableness yielded higher transferred amounts. This effect was more pronounced for trustors low on dispositional trust, whereas trustors high on dispositional trust did not relate their decisions to the faces. Trustees represented by faces rated higher on conscientiousness yielded higher transferred amounts only for trustors high on dispositional anxiety. In the ultimatum game, receivers represented by faces rated higher on conscientiousness yielded lower offers only for proposers high on dispositional assertiveness. These results extend previous findings on the inferences drawn from facial features and the influence of personality on decision making. They highlight the importance of considering the personality of both interaction partner, as well as potential interactions of players' traits.}, language = {en} } @article{BrychMuraliHaendel2021, author = {Brych, Mareike and Murali, Supriya and H{\"a}ndel, Barbara}, title = {The Role of Blinks, Microsaccades and their Retinal Consequences in Bistable Motion Perception}, series = {Frontiers in Psychology}, volume = {12}, journal = {Frontiers in Psychology}, issn = {1664-1078}, doi = {10.3389/fpsyg.2021.647256}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-235217}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Eye-related movements such as blinks and microsaccades are modulated during bistable perceptual tasks. However, if they play an active role during internal perceptual switches is not known. We conducted two experiments involving an ambiguous plaid stimulus, wherein participants were asked to continuously report their percept, which could consist of either unidirectional coherent or bidirectional component movement. Our main results show that blinks and microsaccades did not facilitate perceptual switches. On the contrary, a reduction in eye movements preceded the perceptual switch. Blanks, on the other hand, thought to mimic the retinal consequences of a blink, consistently led to a switch. Through the timing of the blank-introduced perceptual change, we were able to estimate the delay between the internal switch and the response. This delay further allowed us to evaluate that the reduction in blink probability co-occurred with the internal perceptual switch. Additionally, our results indicate that distinct internal processes underlie the switch to coherent vs. component percept. Blanks exclusively facilitated a switch to the coherent percept, and only the switch to coherent percept was followed by an increase in blink rate. In a second study, we largely replicated the findings and included a microsaccade analysis. Microsaccades only showed a weak relation with perceptual switches, but their direction was correlated with the perceived motion direction. Nevertheless, our data suggests an interaction between microsaccades and blinks by showing that microsaccades were differently modulated around blinks compared with blanks. This study shows that a reduction in eye movements precedes internal perceptual switches indicating that the rate of blinks can set the stage for a reinterpretation of sensory input. While a perceptual switch based on changed sensory input usually leads to an increase in blink rate, such an increase was only present after the perceptual switch to coherent motion but absent after the switch to component percept. This provides evidence of different underlying mechanism or internal consequence of the two perceptual switches and suggests that blinks can uncover differences in internal percept-related processes that are not evident from the percept itself.}, language = {en} } @article{FarmerStrzelczykFinisguerraetal.2021, author = {Farmer, Adam D. and Strzelczyk, Adam and Finisguerra, Alessandra and Gourine, Alexander V. and Gharabaghi, Alireza and Hasan, Alkomiet and Burger, Andreas M. and Jaramillo, Andr{\´e}s M. and Mertens, Ann and Majid, Arshad and Verkuil, Bart and Badran, Bashar W. and Ventura-Bort, Carlos and Gaul, Charly and Beste, Christian and Warren, Christopher M. and Quintana, Daniel S. and H{\"a}mmerer, Dorothea and Freri, Elena and Frangos, Eleni and Tobaldini, Eleonora and Kaniusas, Eugenijus and Rosenow, Felix and Capone, Fioravante and Panetsos, Fivos and Ackland, Gareth L. and Kaithwas, Gaurav and O'Leary, Georgia H. and Genheimer, Hannah and Jacobs, Heidi I. L. and Van Diest, Ilse and Schoenen, Jean and Redgrave, Jessica and Fang, Jiliang and Deuchars, Jim and Sz{\´e}les, Jozsef C. and Thayer, Julian F. and More, Kaushik and Vonck, Kristl and Steenbergen, Laura and Vianna, Lauro C. and McTeague, Lisa M. and Ludwig, Mareike and Veldhuizen, Maria G. and De Couck, Marijke and Casazza, Marina and Keute, Marius and Bikson, Marom and Andreatta, Marta and D'Agostini, Martina and Weymar, Mathias and Betts, Matthew and Prigge, Matthias and Kaess, Michael and Roden, Michael and Thai, Michelle and Schuster, Nathaniel M. and Montano, Nicola and Hansen, Niels and Kroemer, Nils B. and Rong, Peijing and Fischer, Rico and Howland, Robert H. and Sclocco, Roberta and Sellaro, Roberta and Garcia, Ronald G. and Bauer, Sebastian and Gancheva, Sofiya and Stavrakis, Stavros and Kampusch, Stefan and Deuchars, Susan A. and Wehner, Sven and Laborde, Sylvain and Usichenko, Taras and Polak, Thomas and Zaehle, Tino and Borges, Uirassu and Teckentrup, Vanessa and Jandackova, Vera K. and Napadow, Vitaly and Koenig, Julian}, title = {International Consensus Based Review and Recommendations for Minimum Reporting Standards in Research on Transcutaneous Vagus Nerve Stimulation (Version 2020)}, series = {Frontiers in Human Neuroscience}, volume = {14}, journal = {Frontiers in Human Neuroscience}, issn = {1662-5161}, doi = {10.3389/fnhum.2020.568051}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-234346}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Given its non-invasive nature, there is increasing interest in the use of transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS) across basic, translational and clinical research. Contemporaneously, tVNS can be achieved by stimulating either the auricular branch or the cervical bundle of the vagus nerve, referred to as transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation(VNS) and transcutaneous cervical VNS, respectively. In order to advance the field in a systematic manner, studies using these technologies need to adequately report sufficient methodological detail to enable comparison of results between studies, replication of studies, as well as enhancing study participant safety. We systematically reviewed the existing tVNS literature to evaluate current reporting practices. Based on this review, and consensus among participating authors, we propose a set of minimal reporting items to guide future tVNS studies. The suggested items address specific technical aspects of the device and stimulation parameters. We also cover general recommendations including inclusion and exclusion criteria for participants, outcome parameters and the detailed reporting of side effects. Furthermore, we review strategies used to identify the optimal stimulation parameters for a given research setting and summarize ongoing developments in animal research with potential implications for the application of tVNS in humans. Finally, we discuss the potential of tVNS in future research as well as the associated challenges across several disciplines in research and clinical practice.}, language = {en} } @article{MunozCentifantiStickleThomasetal.2021, author = {Mu{\~n}oz Centifanti, Luna C. and Stickle, Timothy R. and Thomas, Jamila and Falc{\´o}n, Amanda and Thomson, Nicholas D. and Gamer, Matthias}, title = {Reflexive Gaze Shifts and Fear Recognition Deficits in Children with Callous-Unemotional Traits and Impulsivity/Conduct Problems}, series = {Brain Sciences}, volume = {11}, journal = {Brain Sciences}, number = {10}, issn = {2076-3425}, doi = {10.3390/brainsci11101342}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-248536}, year = {2021}, abstract = {The ability to efficiently recognize the emotions on others' faces is something that most of us take for granted. Children with callous-unemotional (CU) traits and impulsivity/conduct problems (ICP), such as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, have been previously described as being "fear blind". This is also associated with looking less at the eye regions of fearful faces, which are highly diagnostic. Previous attempts to intervene into emotion recognition strategies have not had lasting effects on participants' fear recognition abilities. Here we present both (a) additional evidence that there is a two-part causal chain, from personality traits to face recognition strategies using the eyes, then from strategies to rates of recognizing fear in others; and (b) a pilot intervention that had persistent effects for weeks after the end of instruction. Further, the intervention led to more change in those with the highest CU traits. This both clarifies the specific mechanisms linking personality to emotion recognition and shows that the process is fundamentally malleable. It is possible that such training could promote empathy and reduce the rates of antisocial behavior in specific populations in the future.}, language = {en} } @article{ZieglerEhlisWeberetal.2021, author = {Ziegler, Georg C. and Ehlis, Ann-Christine and Weber, Heike and Vitale, Maria Rosaria and Z{\"o}ller, Johanna E. M. and Ku, Hsing-Ping and Schiele, Miriam A. and K{\"u}rbitz, Laura I. and Romanos, Marcel and Pauli, Paul and Kalisch, Raffael and Zwanzger, Peter and Domschke, Katharina and Fallgatter, Andreas J. and Reif, Andreas and Lesch, Klaus-Peter}, title = {A Common CDH13 Variant is Associated with Low Agreeableness and Neural Responses to Working Memory Tasks in ADHD}, series = {Genes}, volume = {12}, journal = {Genes}, number = {9}, issn = {2073-4425}, doi = {10.3390/genes12091356}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-245220}, year = {2021}, abstract = {The cell—cell signaling gene CDH13 is associated with a wide spectrum of neuropsychiatric disorders, including attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism, and major depression. CDH13 regulates axonal outgrowth and synapse formation, substantiating its relevance for neurodevelopmental processes. Several studies support the influence of CDH13 on personality traits, behavior, and executive functions. However, evidence for functional effects of common gene variation in the CDH13 gene in humans is sparse. Therefore, we tested for association of a functional intronic CDH13 SNP rs2199430 with ADHD in a sample of 998 adult patients and 884 healthy controls. The Big Five personality traits were assessed by the NEO-PI-R questionnaire. Assuming that altered neural correlates of working memory and cognitive response inhibition show genotype-dependent alterations, task performance and electroencephalographic event-related potentials were measured by n-back and continuous performance (Go/NoGo) tasks. The rs2199430 genotype was not associated with adult ADHD on the categorical diagnosis level. However, rs2199430 was significantly associated with agreeableness, with minor G allele homozygotes scoring lower than A allele carriers. Whereas task performance was not affected by genotype, a significant heterosis effect limited to the ADHD group was identified for the n-back task. Heterozygotes (AG) exhibited significantly higher N200 amplitudes during both the 1-back and 2-back condition in the central electrode position Cz. Consequently, the common genetic variation of CDH13 is associated with personality traits and impacts neural processing during working memory tasks. Thus, CDH13 might contribute to symptomatic core dysfunctions of social and cognitive impairment in ADHD.}, language = {en} } @article{SeibelVolmer2021, author = {Seibel, Sebastian and Volmer, Judith}, title = {A Diary Study on Anticipated Leisure Time, Morning Recovery, and Employees' Work Engagement}, series = {International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health}, volume = {18}, journal = {International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health}, number = {18}, issn = {1660-4601}, doi = {10.3390/ijerph18189436}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-246090}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Recovery during yesterday's leisure time is beneficial for morning recovery, and morning recovery fosters employees' work engagement, a positive, motivational state associated with job performance. We extended existing research by assuming that both, morning recovery (considered a resource) and anticipated leisure time (considered an anticipated resource gain), relate to work engagement. Anticipated leisure time comprises two constructs: general anticipation of leisure time, which refers to employees' cognitive evaluation of their entire upcoming leisure time, and pleasant anticipation of a planned leisure activity, which describes a positive affective reaction because of one specific, upcoming leisure activity. We suggested that employees with high pleasant anticipation generate more thoughts of a planned leisure activity (ToPLA), which may distract them from their work, reducing their work engagement. A diary study over five days showed that morning recovery and general anticipation of leisure time were positively related to work engagement. Furthermore, employees with higher pleasant anticipation of a planned leisure activity reported more ToPLA. In contrast to our expectations, neither pleasant anticipation nor ToPLA was related to work engagement. In sum, this study introduced anticipated leisure time as a novel antecedent of work engagement and demonstrated that anticipated resource gains are important for high work engagement.}, language = {en} } @article{PostemaHoogmanAmbrosinoetal.2021, author = {Postema, Merel C. and Hoogman, Martine and Ambrosino, Sara and Asherson, Philip and Banaschewski, Tobias and Bandeira, Cibele E. and Baranov, Alexandr and Bau, Claiton H.D. and Baumeister, Sarah and Baur-Streubel, Ramona and Bellgrove, Mark A. and Biederman, Joseph and Bralten, Janita and Brandeis, Daniel and Brem, Silvia and Buitelaar, Jan K. and Busatto, Geraldo F. and Castellanos, Francisco X. and Cercignani, Mara and Chaim-Avancini, Tiffany M. and Chantiluke, Kaylita C. and Christakou, Anastasia and Coghill, David and Conzelmann, Annette and Cubillo, Ana I. and Cupertino, Renata B. and de Zeeuw, Patrick and Doyle, Alysa E. and Durston, Sarah and Earl, Eric A. and Epstein, Jeffery N. and Ethofer, Thomas and Fair, Damien A. and Fallgatter, Andreas J. and Faraone, Stephen V. and Frodl, Thomas and Gabel, Matt C. and Gogberashvili, Tinatin and Grevet, Eugenio H. and Haavik, Jan and Harrison, Neil A. and Hartman, Catharina A. and Heslenfeld, Dirk J. and Hoekstra, Pieter J. and Hohmann, Sarah and H{\o}vik, Marie F. and Jernigan, Terry L. and Kardatzki, Bernd and Karkashadze, Georgii and Kelly, Clare and Kohls, Gregor and Konrad, Kerstin and Kuntsi, Jonna and Lazaro, Luisa and Lera-Miguel, Sara and Lesch, Klaus-Peter and Louza, Mario R. and Lundervold, Astri J. and Malpas, Charles B and Mattos, Paulo and McCarthy, Hazel and Namazova-Baranova, Leyla and Nicolau, Rosa and Nigg, Joel T. and Novotny, Stephanie E. and Oberwelland Weiss, Eileen and O'Gorman Tuura, Ruth L. and Oosterlaan, Jaap and Oranje, Bob and Paloyelis, Yannis and Pauli, Paul and Picon, Felipe A. and Plessen, Kerstin J. and Ramos-Quiroga, J. Antoni and Reif, Andreas and Reneman, Liesbeth and Rosa, Pedro G.P. and Rubia, Katya and Schrantee, Anouk and Schweren, Lizanne J.S. and Seitz, Jochen and Shaw, Philip and Silk, Tim J. and Skokauskas, Norbert and Soliva Vila, Juan C. and Stevens, Michael C. and Sudre, Gustavo and Tamm, Leanne and Tovar-Moll, Fernanda and van Erp, Theo G.M. and Vance, Alasdair and Vilarroya, Oscar and Vives-Gilabert, Yolanda and von Polier, Georg G. and Walitza, Susanne and Yoncheva, Yuliya N. and Zanetti, Marcus V. and Ziegler, Georg C. and Glahn, David C. and Jahanshad, Neda and Medland, Sarah E. and Thompson, Paul M. and Fisher, Simon E. and Franke, Barbara and Francks, Clyde}, title = {Analysis of structural brain asymmetries in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in 39 datasets}, series = {Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry}, volume = {62}, journal = {Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry}, number = {10}, doi = {10.1111/jcpp.13396}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-239968}, pages = {1202 -- 1219}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Objective Some studies have suggested alterations of structural brain asymmetry in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), but findings have been contradictory and based on small samples. Here, we performed the largest ever analysis of brain left-right asymmetry in ADHD, using 39 datasets of the ENIGMA consortium. Methods We analyzed asymmetry of subcortical and cerebral cortical structures in up to 1,933 people with ADHD and 1,829 unaffected controls. Asymmetry Indexes (AIs) were calculated per participant for each bilaterally paired measure, and linear mixed effects modeling was applied separately in children, adolescents, adults, and the total sample, to test exhaustively for potential associations of ADHD with structural brain asymmetries. Results There was no evidence for altered caudate nucleus asymmetry in ADHD, in contrast to prior literature. In children, there was less rightward asymmetry of the total hemispheric surface area compared to controls (t = 2.1, p = .04). Lower rightward asymmetry of medial orbitofrontal cortex surface area in ADHD (t = 2.7, p = .01) was similar to a recent finding for autism spectrum disorder. There were also some differences in cortical thickness asymmetry across age groups. In adults with ADHD, globus pallidus asymmetry was altered compared to those without ADHD. However, all effects were small (Cohen's d from -0.18 to 0.18) and would not survive study-wide correction for multiple testing. Conclusion Prior studies of altered structural brain asymmetry in ADHD were likely underpowered to detect the small effects reported here. Altered structural asymmetry is unlikely to provide a useful biomarker for ADHD, but may provide neurobiological insights into the trait.}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Zetzl2021, author = {Zetzl, Teresa Margarete}, title = {Cancer-related fatigue intervention}, doi = {10.25972/OPUS-25166}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-251662}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2021}, abstract = {The incidence of cancer cases is rising steadily, while improved early detection and new cancer-specific therapies are reducing the mortality rate. In addition to curing cancer or prolonging life, increasing the quality of life is thus an important goal of oncology, which is why the burdens of cancer and treatment are becoming more important. A common side effect of cancer and its therapy is cancer-related fatigue, a tiredness that manifests itself on physical, emotional and cognitive levels and is not in proportion to previous physical efforts. Since the etiology of fatigue has not yet been fully clarified, symptom-oriented therapy is preferable to cause-specific therapy. In addition to activity management, sleep hygiene, and cognitive behavioral therapy, mind-body interventions such as yoga are recommended for reducing fatigue. Previous studies with small sample sizes were able to examine the efficacy of yoga regarding fatigue predominantly in patients with breast cancer. Long-term effects of yoga have rarely been studied and there have been no attempts to increase long-term effects through interventions such as reminder e-mails. This dissertation takes a closer look at these mentioned aspects of the study sample and long-term effects. An 8-week randomized controlled yoga intervention was conducted, including patients with different cancer types reporting mild to severe fatigue. Following the 8-week yoga therapy, a randomized group of participants received weekly reminder e-mails for 6 months for regular yoga practice, whereas the control group did not receive reminder e-mails. The first paper is a protocol article, which addresses the design and planned implementation of the research project this dissertation is based upon. This serves to ensure better replicability and comparability with other yoga studies. Due to a very low consent rate of patients in the pilot phase, it was necessary to deviate from the protocol article in the actual implementation and the planned inclusion criterion of fatigue >5 was reduced to fatigue >1. The second paper examines the efficacy of the eight-week yoga intervention. Patients in the intervention group who participated in the yoga classes seven times or more showed a significantly greater reduction in general and physical fatigue than those who participated less often. The efficacy of yoga was related to the number of attended yoga sessions. Women with breast cancer who participated in yoga reported greater reductions in fatigue than women with other cancer types. There was also an improvement for depression and quality of life after eight weeks of yoga therapy compared to no yoga therapy. These results imply that yoga is helpful in reducing depression and cancer-related fatigue, especially in terms of physical aspects and improving quality of life. The third paper focuses on the efficacy of reminder e-mails in terms of fatigue and practice frequency. Patients who received reminder e-mails reported greater reductions in general and emotional fatigue, as well as significant increases in practice frequency, compared to patients who did not receive reminder e-mails. Compared to fatigue scores before yoga, significantly lower fatigue and depression scores and higher quality of life were reported after yoga therapy and at follow-up six months later. Weekly e-mail reminders after yoga therapy may have positive effects on general and emotional fatigue and help cancer patients with fatigue establish a regular yoga practice at home. However, higher practice frequency did not lead to higher improvement in physical fatigue as found in Paper 2. This may indicate other factors that influence the efficacy of yoga practice on physical fatigue, such as mindfulness or side effects of therapy. This research project provides insight into the efficacy of yoga therapy for oncology patients with fatigue. It is important that such interventions be offered early, while fatigue symptoms are not too severe. Regular guided yoga practice can reduce physical fatigue, but subsequent yoga practice at home does not further reduce physical fatigue. Reminder emails after completed yoga therapy could only reduce patients' emotional fatigue. It may be that physical fatigue was reduced as much as possible by the previous yoga therapy and that there was a floor effect, or it may be that reminder emails are not suitable as an intervention to reduce physical fatigue at all. Further research is needed to examine the mechanisms of the different interventions in more detail and to find appropriate interventions that reduce all levels of fatigue equally.}, subject = {Erm{\"u}dungssyndrom}, language = {en} } @unpublished{HaendelSchoelvinck2019, author = {H{\"a}ndel, Barbara and Sch{\"o}lvinck, Marieke}, title = {The brain during free movement - what can we learn from the animal model}, series = {Brain Research}, journal = {Brain Research}, edition = {accepted manuscript}, doi = {10.1016/j.brainres.2017.09.003}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-251406}, year = {2019}, abstract = {Animals, just like humans, can freely move. They do so for various important reasons, such as finding food and escaping predators. Observing these behaviors can inform us about the underlying cognitive processes. In addition, while humans can convey complicated information easily through speaking, animals need to move their bodies to communicate. This has prompted many creative solutions by animal neuroscientists to enable studying the brain during movement. In this review, we first summarize how animal researchers record from the brain while an animal is moving, by describing the most common neural recording techniques in animals and how they were adapted to record during movement. We further discuss the challenge of controlling or monitoring sensory input during free movement. However, not only is free movement a necessity to reflect the outcome of certain internal cognitive processes in animals, it is also a fascinating field of research since certain crucial behavioral patterns can only be observed and studied during free movement. Therefore, in a second part of the review, we focus on some key findings in animal research that specifically address the interaction between free movement and brain activity. First, focusing on walking as a fundamental form of free movement, we discuss how important such intentional movements are for understanding processes as diverse as spatial navigation, active sensing, and complex motor planning. Second, we propose the idea of regarding free movement as the expression of a behavioral state. This view can help to understand the general influence of movement on brain function. Together, the technological advancements towards recording from the brain during movement, and the scientific questions asked about the brain engaged in movement, make animal research highly valuable to research into the human "moving brain".}, language = {en} } @article{BrychHaendelRiechelmannetal.2021, author = {Brych, Mareike and H{\"a}ndel, Barbara F. and Riechelmann, Eva and Pieczykolan, Aleksandra and Huestegge, Lynn}, title = {Effects of vocal demands on pupil dilation}, series = {Psychophysiology}, volume = {58}, journal = {Psychophysiology}, number = {2}, doi = {10.1111/psyp.13729}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-224425}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Pupil dilation is known to be affected by a variety of factors, including physical (e.g., light) and cognitive sources of influence (e.g., mental load due to working memory demands, stimulus/response competition etc.). In the present experiment, we tested the extent to which vocal demands (speaking) can affect pupil dilation. Based on corresponding preliminary evidence found in a reanalysis of an existing data set from our lab, we setup a new experiment that systematically investigated vocal response-related effects compared to mere jaw/lip movement and button press responses. Conditions changed on a trial-by-trial basis while participants were instructed to keep fixating a central cross on a screen throughout. In line with our prediction (and previous observation), speaking caused the pupils to dilate strongest, followed by nonvocal movements and finally a baseline condition without any vocal or muscular demands. An additional analysis of blink rates showed no difference in blink frequency between vocal and baseline conditions, but different blink dynamics. Finally, simultaneously recorded electromyographic activity showed that muscle activity may contribute to some (but not all) aspects of the observed effects on pupil size. The results are discussed in the context of other recent research indicating effects of perceived (instead of executed) vocal action on pupil dynamics.}, language = {en} } @article{SchindlerRichterMar2021, author = {Schindler, Julia and Richter, Tobias and Mar, Raymond}, title = {Does generation benefit learning for narrative and expository texts? A direct replication attempt}, series = {Applied Cognitive Psychology}, volume = {35}, journal = {Applied Cognitive Psychology}, number = {2}, doi = {10.1002/acp.3781}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-224496}, pages = {559 -- 564}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Generated information is better recognized and recalled than information that is read. This so-called generation effect has been replicated several times for different types of material, including texts. Perhaps the most influential demonstration was by McDaniel et al. (1986, Journal of Memory and Language, 25, 645-656; henceforth MEDC). This group tested whether the generation effect occurs only if the generation task stimulates cognitive processes not already stimulated by the text. Numerous studies, however, report difficulties replicating this text by generation-task interaction, which suggests that the effect might only be found under conditions closer to the original method of MEDC. To test this assumption, we will closely replicate MEDC's Experiment 2 in German and English-speaking samples. Replicating the effect would suggest that it can be reproduced, at least under limited conditions, which will provide the necessary foundation for future investigations into the boundary conditions of this effect, with an eye towards its utility in applied contexts.}, language = {en} } @article{EndlichRichterMarxetal.2020, author = {Endlich, Darius and Richter, Tobias and Marx, Peter and Lenhard, Wolfgang and Moll, Kristina and Witzel, Bj{\"o}rn and Schulte-K{\"o}rne, Gerd}, title = {Spelling Error Detection : A Valid and Economical Task for Assessing Spelling Skills in Elementary-School Children}, series = {Zeitschrift f{\"u}r Entwicklungspsychologie und P{\"a}dagogische Psychologie}, volume = {52}, journal = {Zeitschrift f{\"u}r Entwicklungspsychologie und P{\"a}dagogische Psychologie}, number = {1-2}, issn = {0049-8637}, doi = {10.1026/0049-8637/a000227}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-244665}, pages = {25-40}, year = {2020}, abstract = {The ability to spell words correctly is a key competence for educational and professional achievement. Economical procedures are essential to identifying children with spelling problems as early as possible. Given the strong evidence showing that reading and spelling are based on the same orthographic knowledge, error-detection tasks (EDTs) could be considered such an economical procedure. Although EDTs are widely used in English-speaking countries, the few studies in German-speaking countries investigated only pupils in secondary school. The present study investigated N = 1,513 children in elementary school. We predicted spelling competencies (measured by dictation or gap-fill dictation) based on an EDT via linear regression. Error-detection abilities significantly predicted spelling competencies (R² between .509 and .679), indicating a strong connection. Predictive values in identifying children with poor spelling abilities with an EDT proved to be sufficient. Error detection for the assessment of spelling skills is therefore a valid instrument for transparent languages as well.}, language = {en} } @article{SeegerLenhardWisniewski2021, author = {Seeger, Jennifer and Lenhard, Wolfgang and Wisniewski, Katrin}, title = {Metakognitives Strategiewissen in sprachbezogenen Situationen : Interne Struktur und Validit{\"a}t des ScenEx}, series = {Diagnostica}, volume = {67}, journal = {Diagnostica}, number = {4}, issn = {0012-1924}, doi = {10.1026/0012-1924/a000275}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-242375}, pages = {189-199}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Studieren stellt hohe Anforderungen an selbstregulatorische F{\"a}higkeiten und eigenverantwortlichen Umgang mit schwierigen Situationen. Aus den zus{\"a}tzlichen sprachlichen Barrieren f{\"u}r ausl{\"a}ndische Studierende erwachsen spezifische selbstregulatorische Aufgaben, wie der Umgang mit Verst{\"a}ndnisproblemen in Vorlesungen. Da hierf{\"u}r bisher kaum geeignete Erhebungsinstrumente existieren, versucht ScenEx diese L{\"u}cke zu schließen. Der Test erfasst das metakognitive Strategiewissen in sprachlich herausfordernden Situationen im Studienalltag. Anhand einer Stichprobe von 290 ausl{\"a}ndischen Studierenden im ersten Fachsemester wird die psychometrische Qualit{\"a}t und interne Struktur des Instruments {\"u}berpr{\"u}ft. ScenEx zeigt eine zufriedenstellende interne Konsistenz und gute Itemfit-Kennwerte, erwartungskonform liegen lokale stochastische Abh{\"a}ngigkeiten der Aufgaben innerhalb der Szenarien vor. Eine konfirmatorische Faktorenanalyse best{\"a}tigt die Grobstruktur der Szenarien und des Gesamtscores des Tests. Das Verfahren ist f{\"u}r die weitere Entwicklung der Sprachkompetenz {\"u}ber die anf{\"a}ngliche Sprachf{\"a}higkeit hinaus pr{\"a}diktiv. ScenEx erweist sich insgesamt als ein reliables und valides Instrument zur Erfassung des Strategiewissens in schwierigen Situationen im Studium.}, language = {de} }