We are excited to share a new publication addressing how emotions are encoded in the human brain during face perception. Combining high-frequency pupillometry with fMRI, the study disentangles perceptual load and arousal components of emotional face processing. Faces, compared to control stimuli, elicited stronger pupil dilations and enhanced activation in bilateral occipito-fusiform regions and the amygdalae. Notably, angry faces produced the largest pupillary responses, while fearful faces triggered the strongest neural activity in a right-lateralized network centered on the superior temporal sulcus. Overall, the findings suggest that emotional meaning is specified early in perception, with distinct physiological and […]
New Publication: How Face and Fear Processing Are Altered in Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy
We are pleased to announce a new publication investigating the neural basis of altered facial emotion perception in Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy (JME). Using fMRI and Dynamic Causal Modelling, the study examined effective connectivity within the bilateral fusiform face area-amygdala network during fear processing. Compared to healthy controls, individuals with JME showed pronounced alterations in the task-independent endogenous network architecture, particularly involving enhanced inhibitory self-connections of the right amygdala. The findings also point to abnormal interhemispheric amygdala transfer under fear modulation and associations with clinical epilepsy characteristics. Overall, this work provides first evidence that disrupted FFA-amygdala connectivity may contribute […]
Out with the Old, In with the Sandwiches
A quick look at the pile of sorted-out furniture says it all: we recently gave our office a much-needed tidy-up. Once the hard work was done, we refueled with homemade sandwiches and enjoyed a relaxed break together – proof that productivity and good food go hand in hand.
From Delivery to Discovery
It’s been just over two years since our new MR scanner arrived. In that time, it’s helped us uncover countless insights – most intriguingly, the secret life of gradient coils.
Welcome to the new news
We noticed that news sections on many academic websites often become outdated. Our own site was no exception, so we decided to remove all old posts – making the three-year gap invisible. Now, we’re excited to start fresh with a completely renewed news section, bringing you up-to-date stories, updates, and highlights from our work.