Aims and research areas

The research group "Functional Imaging and Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation" works with different imaging methods (fMRI, ultra-high field MRI, VBM, resting-state, near-infrared spectroscopy, EEG) and peripheral physiology (skin conductance, startle, heart rate) to better understand the basics of psychiatric diseases and to develop new therapeutic approaches from this. On the one hand, we focus on the processes of aging and investigate the question of whether the development of dementia can be predicted.

Furthermore, we investigate relevant mental processes in fear and anxiety disorders. To optimize the therapy of psychiatric diseases, we work in a second methodological focus with non-invasive brain stimulation techniques, such as tDCS and rTMS, whose effects we test in basic studies as well as in clinical studies in anxiety disorders and depression. Virtual reality techniques help us to conduct exposure therapies in well-controlled settings. 

Third-party funding (selection of current projects)

German Research Foundation 

• Non-invasive brain stimulation in the psychotherapy of anxiety disorders (PAN-VR)

Federal Ministry of Education and Research

• Treatment auf major depressive disorder with bilateral theta burst stimulation (TBS_D)

Team

Head

Prof. Dr. Martin J. Herrmann

Phone: +49 931 201-76650

Fax.: +49 931 201-77429

E-Mail: Herrmann_m@ ukw.de 

Research assistants

• Barbara Bohrmeier
• Lisa Cybinski
  Cybinski_L1@ ukw.de
• Kristin Wehrmann
  Wehrmann_K2@ ukw.de
• Technische Assistenz: Melanie Kress
  Tel.: +49 931 201-77420
  Kress_M2@ ukw.de 

Student assistants

• Annika Gram
• Anne Mächel
• Annalena Jachnik
• Aline Rabelo Evangelista

Fields of research

• Neurobiological background of anxiety disorders
• Experimental therapy research
• Healthy and pathological aging

Methods

• Imaging
  
  • fMRI (VBM, Resting State)
  • EEG
  • NIRS
• Psychophysiology
  • Startle modulation
  • Skin conductivity
  • Heart rate variability
• Non-invasive brain stimulation
  • rTMS
  • tDCS
  • non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation

The working group cooperates with other working groups of the department (Prof. Dr. Hein, Prof. Dr. Angelika Erhard-Lehmann, Prof. Dr. Unterecker, PD Dr. Lauer, Dr. Polak, Dr. Warrings), of the university (Prof. Dr. Pauli, Prof. Dr. Fassnacht-Capeller, Dr. Dischinger, Prof. Dr. Jacob, Prof. Dr. Gamer, Prof. Dr. Schreiber) and on a national and international level (Prof. Dr. Fallgatter, PD Dr. Ehlis, Prof. Dr. Preissl, Tübingen; Prof. Dr. Dr. Domschke, Freiburg; Prof. Dr. Mühlberger, Regensburg).

Publications

Publications of the working group can be found on pubmed or in the list of publications of our hospital.