Main research areas

How do pain and fear arise? What role do expectations, social bonds and stress play? We are researching the biological and psychological basis of these phenomena in order to develop new approaches for prevention and therapy.

The following sections provide an insight into our current projects and publications.

Mechanisms of perception: from pleasant touch to the perception of pain

Our research on perception encompasses the neurobiological foundations and clinical implications of both pleasant and aversive perceptions. Positive perceptions, especially hugs and other pleasant touches, can not only reduce stress but also have a pain-relieving effect.

We investigate the neurobiological mechanisms of these stress-protective and anti-nociceptive effects of social touch in experimental studies in the laboratory and with outpatient assessments in everyday life.

Our work on aversive perception focuses on pain as a core symptom of a wide range of diseases. We are particularly interested in perceptions from within the body, also known as "interoception", which are crucial for visceral pain and diseases of the gut-brain axis.

As part of our DFG-funded work within the Collaborative Research Centre SFB 1280 'Extinction Learning', studies with healthy individuals and those suffering from chronic abdominal pain focus primarily on emotional influencing variables (subproject A10, led by S. Elsenbruch & A. Icenhour) and inflammatory mechanisms of pain amplification (subproject A12, led by H. Engler & S. Elsenbruch). 

In our studies, we are researching new approaches to the prevention and treatment of chronic pain and stress-associated disorders.

Mechanisms and clinical relevance of the central fear network: from fear learning to pain memory

One of our research goals is to gain a deeper understanding of how the central fear network in the brain functions. The amygdala and hippocampus, with their diverse connections to other brain regions, are considered central structures for emotional learning and memory processes. This understanding is crucial for the development of new treatments for conditions associated with stress and fear, such as chronic pain.

We investigate how individual learning experiences shape pain-related conditioned fear and how fear influences pain perception. We also focus on avoidance behaviour as an important behavioural consequence of fear. 

In connection with new behavioural approaches to pain therapy, we analyse the mechanisms of extinction learning, in particular the importance of stress and inflammatory mediators in the context of chronic inflammatory bowel disease.

This research is funded by the DFG as part of the Collaborative Research Centre SFB 1280 'Extinction Learning' in subprojects A10 (led by S. Elsenbruch & A. Icenhour) and A12 (led by H. Engler & S. Elsenbruch).

Cognitive pain modulation through treatment expectations: Placebo and nocebo effects

Therapeutic expectations influence the perception of physical symptoms, including pain and gastrointestinal complaints. Our research projects aim to elucidate the psychological and neurobiological mechanisms of positive (placebo) and negative (nocebo) expectation effects. On the one hand, the aim is to apply knowledge about positive expectation effects in clinical practice. On the other hand, we also aim to clarify the role of negative expectations in symptom persistence and treatment discontinuation in order to minimise nocebo effects in everyday clinical practice.

We combine experimental research with clinical studies in order to improve the therapeutic success of treatments for postoperative and chronic pain in particular. 

This research is funded by the DFG as part of the Transregional Collaborative Research Centre TRR 289 'Treatment Expectation' in subproject A04 (led by S. Elsenbruch).

Social bonding and loneliness

Why do some people thrive in a social environment and benefit from social interactions, while others become socially isolated and lonely? How do social contacts, or the lack thereof, influence our brain and shape our social perception and memory? It is well established that social isolation and loneliness have devastating consequences for physical and mental well-being, but the specific neural and hormonal mechanisms underlying these harmful effects remain unclear.

We are therefore investigating the determinants and consequences of social bonds in healthy adults and patients with mental disorders. In parallel, we aim to better understand how interpersonal touch, as an effective means of communicating emotions, is also important for maintaining social bonds. We are particularly interested in how interindividual differences such as gender and early life experiences modulate the processing of social touch and the neurobiological substrates of social bonds. 

This research is funded by the DFG as part of a research grant (principal investigator: D. Scheele).

Stress and trauma

Stress and traumatic life events are risk factors for the onset and persistence of physical and psychological symptoms. Acute and chronic stress, negative emotions and maladaptive coping influence the perception and assessment of symptoms.

Stress also modulates the memory and reporting of previous episodes of pain and the resulting distress. Furthermore, traumatic experiences can permanently alter social bonds and influence not only interaction preferences but also the perception of social touch.

We use a biopsychosocial stress model and combine pharmacological, psychological and questionnaire-based research approaches from biopsychology, psychoneuroendocrinology and immunology, and neuroscience to shed light on the significance of stress and trauma in all its facets in various questions of basic and clinical research. Based on these findings, neurobiologically informed interventions will be developed to reduce the negative consequences of stress and trauma.