Cognitive Neuroscience - M. Brand

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Cognitive Neuroscience

M. Brand
Behavioral AddictionsAffective and cognitive mechanisms of decision making
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The research group of Prof. Brand at the ELH focusses on neural correlates of cognitive and affective processes using fMRI. This interdisciplinary team examines neural mechanisms of decision-making and their interactions with control processes and emotions.

One research area focusses on the neurobiological and neuropsychological bases of behavioural addictions, particularly those related to online addictive behaviors.

Brand is speaker of the transregional Research Unit FOR 2974 “Affective and cognitive mechanisms of specific Internet-use disorders”, funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG,project number: 411232260). The Research Unit aims to investigate the potential involvement of the theoretically argued (bio) psychological mechanisms underlying the development and maintenance of the predominantly online addictive behaviors.

Current projects
  • DFG: FOR 2974: Affective and cognitive mechanisms of specific Internet-use disorders (ACSID) 2020 - 2024, Project number: 411232269, Spokesperson of FOR 2974, within this Research Unit, Prof. Brand is PI of the research project 1, the research project 4, and the coordination project.
  • MERCUR: THINK@Ruhr 2022 - 2026
Selected Publications
  • Brand M, Can internet use become addictive?, Science (2022)
  • Trotzke P, K Starcke, A Pedersen, et al., Dorsal and ventral striatum activity in individuals with buying-shopping disorder during cue-exposure: A functional magnetic resonance imaging study., Addict Biol (2021)
  • Antons S, B Matthias, Inhibitory control and problematic Internet-pornography use - The important balancing role of the insula., J Behav Addict (2020)
  • Brand M, E Wegmann, R Stark, et al., The Interaction of Person-Affect-Cognition-Execution (I-PACE) model for addictive behaviors: Update, generalization to addictive behaviors beyond internet-use disorders, and specification of the process character of addictive behaviors., Neurosci Biobehav Rev (2019)
  • Pütten AMRd, NC Krämer, S Maderwald, et al., Neural Mechanisms for Accepting and Rejecting Artificial Social Partners in the Uncanny Valley., J Neurosci (2019)
  • Potenza MN, S Higuchi, M Brand, Call for research into a wider range of behavioural addictions., Nature (2018)
  • Brand M, J Snagowski, C Laier, et al., Ventral striatum activity when watching preferred pornographic pictures is correlated with symptoms of Internet pornography addiction., Neuroimage (2016)
  • Brand M, KS Young, C Laier, et al., Integrating psychological and neurobiological considerations regarding the development and maintenance of specific Internet-use disorders: An Interaction of Person-Affect-Cognition-Execution (I-PACE) model., Neurosci Biobehav Rev (2016)
  • Starcke K, M Brand, Effects of stress on decisions under uncertainty: A meta-analysis., Psychol Bull (2016)
  • Starcke K, M Brand, Decision making under stress: a selective review., Neurosci Biobehav Rev (2012)
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