Sören Krach

Neural mechanisms of affective matching across faces and scenes

2019, Social Cognition /

Abstract The emotional matching paradigm, introduced by Hariri and colleagues in 2000, is a widely used neuroimaging experiment that reliably activates the amygdala. In the classic version of the experiment faces with negative emotional expression and scenes depicting distressing events are compared with geometric shapes instead of neutral stimuli of the same category (i.e. faces […]

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The neural substrate of reward anticipation in health: A meta-analysis of fMRI findings in the monetary incentive delay task

2018, Social Reward /

Abstract The monetary incentive delay task breaks down reward processing into discrete stages for fMRI analysis. Here we look at anticipation of monetary gain and loss contrasted with neutral anticipation. We meta-analysed data from 15 original whole-brain group maps (n = 346) and report extensive areas of relative activation and deactivation throughout the whole brain.

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The causal role of the somatosensory cortex in prosocial behaviour

2018, Social Cognition, Social Reward /

Abstract Witnessing another person’s suffering elicits vicarious brain activity in areas that are active when we ourselves are in pain. Whether this activity influences prosocial behavior remains the subject of debate. Here participants witnessed a confederate express pain through a reaction of the swatted hand or through a facial expression, and could decide to reduce

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Peripheral oxytocin predicts higher-level social cognition in men regardless of empathy quotient

2018, Hormones/Neuromodulators, Social Cognition /

Abstract Introduction: Pharmaceutical oxytocin (OT) administration is being tested as a novel treatment for social deficits in various psychiatric populations. However, little is known about how naturally occurring variation in peripheral OT relates to differences in social cognition. This study investigates whether healthy individuals with very high or very low levels of empathy differ in endogenous

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Sleep to be social: The critical role of sleep and memory for social interaction

2017, Social Cognition /

Abstract Humans are highly social animals who critically need to remember information from social episodes in order to successfully navigate future social interactions. We propose that such episodic memories about social encounters are processed during sleep, following the learning experience, with sleep abstracting and consolidating social gist knowledge (e.g., beliefs, first impressions, or stereotypes) about

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Microstructural white matter changes and their relation to neuropsychological deficits in patients with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy

2017, Clinical /

Abstract Objective: Juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME) is the most common idiopathic generalized epilepsy syndrome. Neuropsychological, electrophysiological, and neuroimaging studies have led to the hypothesis that JME is related to dysfunction of frontal brain regions and mainly frontal thalamocortical networks. Methods: We investigated possible microstructural white matter abnormalities of 20 patients with JME as compared with 20 healthy

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Ketamine-induced NMDA receptor blockade during natural speech production and Its implications for formal thought disorder in schizophrenia: A Pharmaco-fMRI Study

2017, Clinical /

Abstract Structural and functional changes in the lateral temporal language areas have been related to formal thought disorder (FTD) in schizophrenia. Continuous, natural speech production activates the right lateral temporal lobe in schizophrenia, as opposed to the left in healthy subjects. Positive and negative FTD can be elicited in healthy subjects by glutamatergic NMDA blockade

Ketamine-induced NMDA receptor blockade during natural speech production and Its implications for formal thought disorder in schizophrenia: A Pharmaco-fMRI Study Read More »

The social neuroscience of interpersonal emotions

2017, Social Emotions /

Abstract In our daily lives, we constantly engage in reciprocal interactions with other individuals and represent ourselves in the context of our surrounding social world. Within social interactions, humans often experience interpersonal emotions such as embarrassment, shame, guilt, or pride. How interpersonal emotions are processed on the neural systems level is of major interest for

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Study protocol of the ASD-Net, the German research consortium for the study of Autism Spectrum Disorder across the lifespan: from a better etiological understanding, through valid diagnosis, to more effective health care

2017, Clinical /

Abstract Background: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a severe, lifelong neurodevelopmental disorder with early onset that places a heavy burden on affected individuals and their families. Due to the need for highly specialized health, educational and vocational services, ASD is a cost-intensive disorder, and strain on health care systems increases with increasing age of the affected

Study protocol of the ASD-Net, the German research consortium for the study of Autism Spectrum Disorder across the lifespan: from a better etiological understanding, through valid diagnosis, to more effective health care Read More »

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