Dr Niklas Ihssen

Contact Dr Niklas Ihssen

Research Interests

My research is guided by the questions what motivates human behaviour and how motivation and reward are implemented in the neural architecture of the human brain. To study the “motivated brain”, I am using fMRI, real-time fMRI-based neurofeedback as well as behavioural techniques and computational modelling. Currently, my research focuses on:

(i) Neural processes and behavioural dynamics elicited by salient visual reward cues, for instance, pictures showing appetitive food or drugs.

See an example of this research in:

Ihssen, N., Cox, W.M., Wiggett, A., Fadardi, J.S. & Linden, D.E.J. (2011). Differentiating heavy from light drinkers by neural responses to visual alcohol cues and other motivational stimuli. Cerebral Cortex 21(6): 1408-1415.

(ii) The question whether and how visual cue reactivity, ‘wanting’ and craving can be altered by neurofeedback-guided self-regulation

Example:

Ihssen, N., Sokunbi, M. O., Lawrence, A. D., Lawrence, N. S. & Linden, D. E. J. (2017). Neurofeedback of visual food cue reactivity: a potential avenue to alter incentive sensitization and craving. Brain Imaging and Behavior, 11(3), 915-924.

(iii) Social factors affecting reward and reward learning

Example:

Ihssen, N., Mussweiler, T. & Linden, D. E. J. (2016). Observing others stay or switch - How social prediction errors are integrated into reward reversal learning. Cognition 153: 19-32.

Publications

Journal Article

• Sykes, Lucy, Haddon, Josephine, Lancaster, Thomas M., Sykes, Arabella, Azzouni, Karima, Ihssen, Niklas, Moon, Anna L., Lin, Tzu-Ching E., Linden, David E., Owen, Michael J., O'Donovan, Michael C., Humby, Trevor, Wilkinson, Lawrence S., Thomas, Kerrie L. & Hall, Jeremy (2019). Genetic Variation in the Psychiatric Risk Gene CACNA1C Modulates Reversal Learning Across Species. Schizophrenia Bulletin 45(5): 1024-1032.
• Kedia, Gayannee, Mussweiler, Thomas, Adam, Ruth, Ischebeck, Anja, Ihssen, Niklas & Linden, David E. J. (2019). So pretty! The neural correlates of self-other vs familiar-other attractiveness comparisons. Social Neuroscience 14(1): 41-52.
• Lancaster, Thomas M., Dimitriadis, Stavros L., Tansey, Katherine E., Perry, Gavin, Ihssen, Niklas, Jones, Derek K., Singh, Krish D., Holmans, Peter, Pocklington, Andrew, Davey Smith, George, Zammit, Stan, Hall, Jeremy, O’Donovan, Michael C., Owen, Michael J. & Linden, David E. (2019). Structural and Functional Neuroimaging of Polygenic Risk for Schizophrenia: A Recall-by-Genotype–Based Approach. Schizophrenia Bulletin 45(2): 405-414.
• Lancaster, Thomas M., Ihssen, Niklas, Brindley, Lisa M. & Linden, David E. J. (2018). Preliminary evidence for genetic overlap between body mass index and striatal reward response. Translational Psychiatry 8: 19.
• Humpston, Clara S., Evans, Lisa H., Teufel, Christoph, Ihssen, Niklas & Linden, David E. J. (2017). Evidence of absence: no relationship between behaviourally measured prediction error response and schizotypy. Cognitive Neuropsychiatry 22(5): 373-390.
• Lancaster, T. M., Ihssen, N., Brindley, L. M. & Linden, D. E. J. (2017). Further support for association between GWAS variant for positive emotion and reward systems. Translational Psychiatry 7(1): e1018.
• Leszkowicz, E., Linden, D. E. J., Maio, G. R. & Ihssen, N. (2017). Neural evidence of motivational conflict between social values. Social Neuroscience 12(5): 494-505.
• Ihssen, N., Sokunbi, M. O., Lawrence, A. D., Lawrence, N. S. & Linden, D. E. J. (2017). Neurofeedback of visual food cue reactivity: a potential avenue to alter incentive sensitization and craving. Brain Imaging and Behavior 11(3): 915-924.
• Zacharopoulus, G., Hanel, P. H. P., Lancaster, T. M., Ihssen, N., Drakesmith, M., Foley, S., Maio, G. R. & Linden, D. E. J. (2017). Nonlinear associations between human values and neuroanatomy. Social Neuroscience 12(6): 673-684.
• Zacharopoulos, G, Lancaster, T M, Bracht, T, Ihssen, N, Maio, G R & Linden, D E J (2016). A Hedonism Hub in the Human Brain. Cerebral Cortex 26(10): 3921-3927.
• Lancaster, T.M., Ihssen, N., Brindley, L.M., Tansey, K.E., Mantripragada, K., O'Donovan, M.C., Owen, M.J. & Linden, D.E.J. (2016). Associations between polygenic risk for schizophrenia and brain function during probabilistic learning in healthy individuals. Human Brain Mapping 37(2): 491-500.
• Habes, I., Rushton, S., Johnston, S. J., Sokunbi, M. O., Barawi, K., Brosnan, M., Daly, T., Ihssen, N. & Linden, D. E. J. (2016). fMRI neurofeedback of higher visual areas and perceptual biases. Neuropsychologia 85: 208-215.
• Cox, W. M., Subramanian, L., Linden, D. E. J., Luehrs, M., McNamara, R., Playle, R., Hood, K., Watson, G., Whittaker, J. R., Sakhuja, R. & Ihssen, N. (2016). Neurofeedback training for alcohol dependence versus treatment as usual: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial. Trials 17(1): 480.
• Ihssen, N., Mussweiler, T. & Linden, D. E. J. (2016). Observing others stay or switch - How social prediction errors are integrated into reward reversal learning. Cognition 153: 19-32.
• Ihssen, N., Linden, D.E.J., Miller, C.E. & Shapiro, K.L. (2015). Neural mechanisms underlying visual short-term memory gain for temporally distinct objects. Cerebral Cortex 25(8): 2149-2159.
• Sokunbi, M.O., Linden, D.E.J., Habes, I., Johnston, S. & Ihssen, N. (2014). Real-time fMRI brain-computer interface: development of a "motivational feedback" subsystem for the regulation of visual cue reactivity. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience 8: 392.
• Ihssen, N. & Keil, A. (2013). Accelerative and decelerative effects of hedonic valence and emotional arousal during visual scene processing. The Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology 66(7): 1276-1301.
• Kedia, G., Lindner, M., Mussweiler, T., Ihssen, N. & Linden, D.E.J. (2013). Brain networks of social comparison. NeuroReport 24(5): 259-264.
• Heim, S., Ihssen, N., Hasselhorn, M. & Keil, A. (2013). Early adolescents show sustained susceptibility to cognitive interference by emotional distractors. Cognition & Emotion 27(4): 696-706.
• Keil, J., Mueller, N., Ihssen, N. & Weisz, N. (2012). On the variability of the McGurk effect: Audiovisual integration depends on prestimulus brain states. Cerebral Cortex 22(1): 221-231.
• Ihssen, N., Cox, W.M., Wiggett, A., Fadardi, J.S. & Linden, D.E.J. (2011). Differentiating heavy from light drinkers by neural responses to visual alcohol cues and other motivational stimuli. Cerebral Cortex 21(6): 1408-1415.
• Keil, A. Bradley, M. M., Ihssen, N. , Heim, S. Vila, J. Guerra, P. & Lang, P. J. (2010). Defensive engagement and perceptual enhancement. Neuropsychologia 48(12): 3580-3584.
• Ihssen, N., Linden, D. E. J. & Shapiro, K. L. (2010). Improving visual short-term memory by sequencing the stimulus array. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review 17(5): 680.

Research Groups

• Quantitative Social Psychology

Selected Grants