Aulenkamp J, Pawlik R, Guddat C, Engler H, Kleine-Borgmann J, Icenhour A, Elsenbruch S (2026). Unraveling nocebo effects in visceral pain: negative suggestion and adverse treatment experience uniquely shape visceral pain unpleasantness. Pain, 167(3), 606-617. doi: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000003827
Prof. Dr. Adriane Icenhour
Head of the Affective Neuroscience Department
Profile
Prof. Dr. Adriane Icenhour is W2 Professor of Affective Neuroscience. She combines experimental basic research with a clinically oriented perspective to expand our understanding of the communication pathways between the body and the mind.
In her research, Prof. Icenhour investigates the role of the brain in psychological distress and physical complaints, particularly in pain and stress-related disorders. A central focus is on the gut–brain axis, which strikingly demonstrates the close interaction between physical and psychological processes. Using modern neuroimaging techniques, Prof. Icenhour makes these relationships visible and investigates how neurobiological mechanisms contribute to the development and maintenance of diseases.
Based on a bio-psycho-social model of illness, this work aims to generate scientific findings with direct relevance for clinical application. The close exchange between research and the clinical context enables a deeper understanding of the underlying mechanisms and supports the development and refinement of evidence-based treatment approaches, particularly for individuals suffering from chronic pain.
Curriculum Vitae
- Since 2023 Professor of Affective Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, Ruhr University Bochum
- Since 2021 Project Manager, DFG SFB1280 “Extinction Learning,” Project A10
- 2021–2023 Postdoctoral researcher, Department of Medical Psychology and Medical Sociology, Faculty of Medicine, Ruhr University Bochum
- 2012–2021 Habilitation and venia legendi for medical psychology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Duisburg-Essen
- 2021 Postdoctoral researcher, Translational Pain Research Unit, Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Duisburg-Essen
- 2017–2020 Postdoctoral researcher, Institute of Medical Psychology and Behavioral Immunobiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Duisburg-Essen
- 2016–2017 DFG Research Fellowship, Center for Medical Image Science and Visualization (CMIV), Linköping University Hospital, Sweden
- 09–2015 Dr. rer. medic., Faculty of Medicine, University of Duisburg-Essen (summa cum laude)
- 2012–2015 Research assistant, Institute of Medical Psychology and Behavioral Immunobiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Duisburg-Essen
- 2009–2011 Diploma in Psychology (minor in Medicine), Justus Liebig University Giessen
- 2003–2011 Studied Psychology, Justus Liebig University Giessen
Recent publications
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Barazanji N, Sjödahl J, Orell G, Evripidou M, Adjeiwaah M, Icenhour A, Lundberg P, Walter S (2026). From Gut Feeling to Gray Matter: Mapping Defecation Urgency in Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Gastroenterology,. doi: 10.1053/j.gastro.2026.01.032
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Pertz M, Penack T, Pawlik R, Icenhour A, Elsenbruch S (2026). Pain modality shapes empathy: Amplified empathic responses for visceral compared to somatic pain. J Pain, 39, 105631. doi: 10.1016/j.jpain.2025.105631
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Öhlmann H, Rohde L, Langhorst J, Icenhour A, Engler H, Elsenbruch S (2025). Fear-induced hyperalgesia in quiescent inflammatory bowel disease. Pain,. doi: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000003853
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Bureychak T, Sjödahl J, Barazanji N, Orell G, Book O, Simon R, Bednarska O, Icenhour A, Walter S (2025). Exploring Associations of Different Types of Childhood Trauma With Symptomatology in Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Neurogastroenterol Motil,, e70148. doi: 10.1111/nmo.70148
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Radua J, Savage H, Vilajosana E, Jamieson A, Abler B, Åhs F, Beckers T, Cardoner N, Cisler J, Diniz J, Bach D, Elsenbruch S, Greening S, Holt D, Kaczkurkin A, Keil A, Kindt M, Koch K, LaBar K, Lam C, Larson C, Lonsdorf T, Merz C, McLaughlin K, Neria Y, Pine D, van Reekum C, Shackman A, Soriano-Mas C, Spoormaker V, Stout D, Straube B, Straube T, Tuominen L, Visser R, Ahumada L, Arolt V, Batistuzzo M, Bazán P, Biggs E, Cano M, Chavarría-Elizondo P, Cooper S, Dannlowski U, de la Peña-Arteaga V, DeCross S, Domschke K, Ehlers M, Graner J, Hamm A, Herrmann M, Huggins A, Icenhour A, Juaneda-Seguí A, Junghoefer M, Kircher T, Koelkebeck K, Kuhn M, Labrenz F, Lissek S, Lotze M, Lueken U, Margraf J, Martínez-Zalacaín I, Moeck R, Morriss J, Ortuño M, Pittig A, Porta-Casteras D, Richter J, Ridderbusch I, Rief W, Roesmann K, Rosén J, Rußmann A, Sjouwerman R, Spohrs J, Ströhle A, Suarez-Jimenez B, Ulrich M, Wittchen H, Zhu X, Waller L, Walter H, Thompson P, Bas-Hoogendam J, Groenewold N, J Stein D, Van der Wee N, Dunsmoor J, Marquand A, J Harrison B, Fullana M (2025). Neural correlates of human fear conditioning and sources of variability in 2199 individuals. Nat Commun, 16(1), 7869. doi: 10.1038/s41467-025-63078-x
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Labrenz F, Kalenbach A, Elsenbruch S, Icenhour A (2025). Costly pain avoidance and its impact on the modulation and extinction of visceral pain-related fear. Sci Rep, 15(1), 27001. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-10499-9
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Butry L, Thomä J, Elsenbruch S, Icenhour A, Rehmann R, Enax-Krumova E, Schlaffke L (2025). Brain network properties in chronic pain-a systematic review and meta-analysis of graph-based connectivity metrics. Front Neurosci, 19, 1672542. doi: 10.3389/fnins.2025.1672542
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Lanters L, Öhlmann H, Langhorst J, Theysohn N, Engler H, Icenhour A, Elsenbruch S (2024). Disease-specific alterations in central fear network engagement during acquisition and extinction of conditioned interoceptive fear in inflammatory bowel disease. Mol Psychiatry, 29(11), 3527-3536. doi: 10.1038/s41380-024-02612-7
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Öhlmann H, Icenhour A, Elsenbruch S, Benson S (2024). "Powerful placebo": A teaching and learning concept addressing placebo and nocebo effects in competency-based communication training. GMS J Med Educ, 41(4), Doc38. doi: 10.3205/zma001693
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Öhlmann H, Lanters L, Theysohn N, Langhorst J, Engler H, Icenhour A, Elsenbruch S (2023). Distinct Alterations in Central Pain Processing of Visceral and Somatic Pain in Quiescent Ulcerative Colitis Compared to Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Health. J Crohns Colitis, 17(10), 1639-1651. doi: 10.1093/ecco-jcc/jjad080
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Aulenkamp J, Icenhour A, Elsenbruch S (2023). Nocebo effects in visceral pain: concept and design of the experimental randomized-controlled pain study 'NoVis'. Front Psychiatry, 14, 1270189. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1270189
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Labrenz F, Merz C, Icenhour A (2023). Connecting dots in disorders of gut-brain interaction: the interplay of stress and sex hormones in shaping visceral pain. Front Psychiatry, 14, 1204136. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1204136
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Aulenkamp J, Steinmüller K, Icenhour A, Elsenbruch S (2022). From gut feeling to visceral pain : Effects of negative expectations in the context of the gut-brain axis. Schmerz, 36(3), 182-188. doi: 10.1007/s00482-021-00614-w
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Barazanji N, Paul Hamilton J, Icenhour A, Simon R, Bednarska O, Tapper S, Tisell A, Lundberg P, Engström M, Walter S (2022). Irritable bowel syndrome in women: Association between decreased insular subregion volumes and gastrointestinal symptoms. Neuroimage Clin, 35, 103128. doi: 10.1016/j.nicl.2022.103128
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Labrenz F, Woud M, Elsenbruch S, Icenhour A (2022). The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly-Chances, Challenges, and Clinical Implications of Avoidance Research in Psychosomatic Medicine. Front Psychiatry, 13, 841734. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.841734
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Benson S, Theysohn N, Kleine-Borgmann J, Rebernik L, Icenhour A, Elsenbruch S (2022). Positive Treatment Expectations Shape Perceived Medication Efficacy in a Translational Placebo Paradigm for the Gut-Brain Axis. Front Psychiatry, 13, 824468. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.824468
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Icenhour A, Petrakova L, Hazzan N, Theysohn N, Merz C, Elsenbruch S (2021). When gut feelings teach the brain to fear pain: Context-dependent activation of the central fear network in a novel interoceptive conditioning paradigm. Neuroimage, 238, 118229. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118229
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Koenen L, Pawlik R, Icenhour A, Petrakova L, Forkmann K, Theysohn N, Engler H, Elsenbruch S (2021). Author Correction: Associative learning and extinction of conditioned threat predictors across sensory modalities. Commun Biol, 4(1), 1000. doi: 10.1038/s42003-021-02542-y
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Koenen L, Pawlik R, Icenhour A, Petrakova L, Forkmann K, Theysohn N, Engler H, Elsenbruch S (2021). Associative learning and extinction of conditioned threat predictors across sensory modalities. Commun Biol, 4(1), 553. doi: 10.1038/s42003-021-02008-1
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Norlin A, Walter S, Icenhour A, Keita Å, Elsenbruch S, Bednarska O, Jones M, Simon R, Engström M (2021). Fatigue in irritable bowel syndrome is associated with plasma levels of TNF-α and mesocorticolimbic connectivity. Brain Behav Immun, 92, 211-222. doi: 10.1016/j.bbi.2020.11.035
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Simon R, Barazanji N, Jones M, Bednarska O, Icenhour A, Engström M, Hamilton J, Keita Å, Walter S (2021). Vasoactive intestinal polypeptide plasma levels associated with affective symptoms and brain structure and function in healthy females. Sci Rep, 11(1), 1406. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-80873-2
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Rahal H, Videlock E, Icenhour A, Shih W, Naliboff B, Gupta A, Mayer E, Chang L (2020). Importance of trauma-related fear in patients with irritable bowel syndrome and early adverse life events. Neurogastroenterol Motil, 32(9), e13896. doi: 10.1111/nmo.13896
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Icenhour A, Labrenz F, Roderigo T, Benson S, Elsenbruch S (2020). The Role of Chronic Stress in Normal Visceroception: Insights From an Experimental Visceral Pain Study in Healthy Volunteers. Front Psychiatry, 11, 107. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00107
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Icenhour A, Tapper S, Bednarska O, Witt S, Tisell A, Lundberg P, Elsenbruch S, Walter S (2019). Elucidating the putative link between prefrontal neurotransmission, functional connectivity, and affective symptoms in irritable bowel syndrome. Sci Rep, 9(1), 13590. doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-50024-3
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Icenhour A, Labrenz F, Roderigo T, Siebert C, Elsenbruch S, Benson S (2019). Are there sex differences in visceral sensitivity in young healthy men and women?. Neurogastroenterol Motil, 31(9), e13664. doi: 10.1111/nmo.13664
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Bednarska O, Icenhour A, Tapper S, Witt S, Tisell A, Lundberg P, Elsenbruch S, Engström M, Walter S (2019). Reduced excitatory neurotransmitter levels in anterior insulae are associated with abdominal pain in irritable bowel syndrome. Pain, 160(9), 2004-2012. doi: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000001589
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Benson S, Siebert C, Koenen L, Engler H, Kleine-Borgmann J, Bingel U, Icenhour A, Elsenbruch S (2019). Cortisol affects pain sensitivity and pain-related emotional learning in experimental visceral but not somatic pain: a randomized controlled study in healthy men and women. Pain, 160(8), 1719-1728. doi: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000001579
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Simon R, Engström M, Icenhour A, Lowén M, Ström M, Tillisch K, Mayer E, Elsenbruch S, Walter S (2019). On Functional Connectivity and Symptom Relief After Gut-directed Hypnotherapy in Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Preliminary Study. J Neurogastroenterol Motil, 25(3), 478-479. doi: 10.5056/jnm19069
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Witt S, Bednarska O, Keita Å, Icenhour A, Jones M, Elsenbruch S, Söderholm J, Engström M, Mayer E, Walter S (2019). Interactions between gut permeability and brain structure and function in health and irritable bowel syndrome. Neuroimage Clin, 21, 101602. doi: 10.1016/j.nicl.2018.11.012
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Koenen L, Icenhour A, Forkmann K, Theysohn N, Forsting M, Bingel U, Elsenbruch S (2018). From Anticipation to the Experience of Pain: The Importance of Visceral Versus Somatic Pain Modality in Neural and Behavioral Responses to Pain-Predictive Cues. Psychosom Med, 80(9), 826-835. doi: 10.1097/PSY.0000000000000612
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Koenen L, Icenhour A, Forkmann K, Pasler A, Theysohn N, Forsting M, Bingel U, Elsenbruch S (2017). Greater fear of visceral pain contributes to differences between visceral and somatic pain in healthy women. Pain, 158(8), 1599-1608. doi: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000000924
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Icenhour A, Witt S, Elsenbruch S, Lowén M, Engström M, Tillisch K, Mayer E, Walter S (2017). Brain functional connectivity is associated with visceral sensitivity in women with Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Neuroimage Clin, 15, 449-457. doi: 10.1016/j.nicl.2017.06.001
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Labrenz F, Icenhour A, Schlamann M, Forsting M, Bingel U, Elsenbruch S (2016). From Pavlov to pain: How predictability affects the anticipation and processing of visceral pain in a fear conditioning paradigm. Neuroimage, 130, 104-114. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2016.01.064
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Labrenz F, Icenhour A, Thürling M, Schlamann M, Forsting M, Timmann D, Elsenbruch S (2015). Sex differences in cerebellar mechanisms involved in pain-related safety learning. Neurobiol Learn Mem, 123, 92-9. doi: 10.1016/j.nlm.2015.05.006
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Icenhour A, Kattoor J, Benson S, Boekstegers A, Schlamann M, Merz C, Forsting M, Elsenbruch S (2015). Neural circuitry underlying effects of context on human pain-related fear extinction in a renewal paradigm. Hum Brain Mapp, 36(8), 3179-93. doi: 10.1002/hbm.22837
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Labrenz F, Icenhour A, Benson S, Elsenbruch S (2015). Contingency Awareness Shapes Acquisition and Extinction of Emotional Responses in a Conditioning Model of Pain-Related Fear. Front Behav Neurosci, 9, 318. doi: 10.3389/fnbeh.2015.00318
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Gramsch C, Kattoor J, Icenhour A, Forsting M, Schedlowski M, Gizewski E, Elsenbruch S (2014). Learning pain-related fear: neural mechanisms mediating rapid differential conditioning, extinction and reinstatement processes in human visceral pain. Neurobiol Learn Mem, 116, 36-45. doi: 10.1016/j.nlm.2014.08.003