Systems Neuroscience

Our group connects basic research in cognitive neuroscience to clinical research. We aim to better understand the cognitive and neural mechanisms underlying mental disorders such as addiction. To this end, we study decision-making, executive functions, emotions or motivation and the function of the neural systems that are essential for these cognitive processes.

To examine the function of neural systems, for instance the reward system, subjects perform tasks (e.g. a delay discounting task) whilst lying in a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner that records their brain activity.
Besides functional MRI, we also use structural MRI to investigate the link between brain structure and function. Positron emission tomography (PET) is applied to assess the function of neurotransmitter systems such as the dopamine or serotonin system. Combined with functional MRI, this allows us to investigate, for example, the relationship between processing of emotional stimuli and the function of the serotonin system. By combining imaging techniques with genetic, pharmacologic and endocrinologic methods, we can explore molecular, neurochemical, neuropharmacological and neuroendocrinological mechanisms.

The Section of Systems Neuroscience is part of the Department of Psychiatry. Within the Technische Universität Dresden we are also closely associated with the Department of Psychology and the Neuroimaging Center, which offers excellent research collaborations and infrastructure.