Urbanicity, behavior problems and HPA axis regulation in preschoolers

in Psychoneuroendocrinology (in press)

Less efficient cognitive pain modulation in healthy older adults – the impact of executive functions, chronic stress, and physical activity

in Heinrichs, Markus; Schönauer, Monika (Eds.) 47. Jahrestagung Psychologie und Gehirn (2022)

Demographic change and the associated increasing prevalence of chronic pain have contributed to increased research interest in the field of aging. Aging has been associated with less efficient pain ... [more ▼]

Demographic change and the associated increasing prevalence of chronic pain have contributed to increased research interest in the field of aging. Aging has been associated with less efficient pain inhibition through cognitive distraction. As pain modulation and executive functioning mainly involve the prefrontal cortical network, which shows age-related atrophy, we hypothesized an association between deteriorating cognitive modulation of pain in healthy older adults and reduced executive functions. As chronic stress can decrease executive functioning through prefrontal cortical impairment, we expected a negative impact on distraction from pain. In contrast, physical activity can have a stress-buffering effect and positively influences executive functions in older age. Therefore, increased physical activity should lead to better distraction from pain. Healthy young (18 -30 years) and older adults (65+ years) took part in a pain distraction paradigm (N-back) while receiving non-painful and moderately painful electric stimuli. Before, we examined executive functions, including response inhibition (Go/No-Go-task), inhibitory control (Stroop task), and working memory (Sternberg task). Additionally, chronic stress and physical activity were assessed using self-report questionnaires, supported by physiological measurements (heart rate variability). Preliminary results indicate a negative impact of chronic stress on distraction from pain particular in young participants, while physical fitness was related to more successful pain modulation in older adults. Our final results will contribute to a more differentiated view on executive functioning and pain modulation in aging, thereby leading to a better understanding of the impact of aging on non-pharmacological pain treatment and to better adapted pain therapies in this population. [less ▲]

Polygenic Scores for Cognitive Abilities and Their Association with Different Aspects of General Intelligence—A Deep Phenotyping Approach

in Molecular Neurobiology (2021)

The brain under stress—A systematic review and activation likelihood estimation meta-analysis of changes in BOLD signal associated with acute stress exposure

in Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews (2021), 124

Why does early childhood deprivation increase the risk for depression and anxiety in adulthood? A developmental cascade model

in Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and Allied Disciplines (2020), 61(9), 1043-1053

The mediating role of KITLG DNA methylation in the association between childhood adversity and cortisol stress reactivity does not replicate in monocytes

in Psychoneuroendocrinology (2020), 116

Exploring hair steroid concentrations in asylum seekers, internally displaced refugees, and immigrants

in Stress (2020), 23(5), 538-545

Angiotensin involvement in trauma processing—exploring candidate neurocognitive mechanisms of preventing post-traumatic stress symptoms

in Neuropsychopharmacology (2020), 45(3), 507-514

Adoptees' responses to separation from, and reunion with, their adoptive parent at age 4 years is associated with long-term persistence of autism symptoms following early severe institutional deprivation

in Development and Psychopathology (2020), 32(2), 631-640

Oxytocin and the stress buffering effect of social company: A genetic study in daily life

in Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience (2020), 15(3), 293-301