Subproject 4

Brain-electrical and cardiovascular indicators of emotion regulation as predictors of treatment (non)-response to CBT in internalizing disorders

Emotion regulation has a central role in models of mental disorders and of their cure through psychotherapy. Implicit-automatic emotional reactivity and explicit-controlled regulation of emotions by reappraisal will be assessed in this subproject of the Research Unit by validated psychophysiological indicators and examined for their predictive value for (non)-response to cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) in patients with internalizing disorders. Electroencephalographic (EEG) variables include amplitudes of the late positive potential (LPP) and asymmetry of frontal alpha-band power to pictures with different emotional content. Synchronously, electrocardiographic measures (ECG: heart rate and heart rate variability, HRV) will be recorded. All measures will be obtained under 1) resting conditions, 2) passive viewing conditions (emotional reactivity), and 3) instructed emotion regulation using reappraisal. Higher LPP amplitudes, relative shifting of frontal brain activity to the right hemisphere, and lower HRV to negatively valenced pictures will be considered as signs of reduced emotion regulation and adaptive capacity, hypothesized to predict worse response of patients to CBT. The variables assessed in this subproject complement information regarding emotion regulation gathered from patients by other subprojects of this Research Unit (questionnaire-based: SP5 and SP6, ecological momentary assessments, EMA: SP6, fMRI-based: SP3, SP7, and SP8). The predictive power of the level of emotion regulation for (non)-response to CBT will be examined directly by measured indicators, and also at the construct level by derived latent variables. This will be implemented by using linear models (regression), but also by machine-learning algorithms (SP2). The psychophysiological measurement level (EEG and ECG) provides relatively easy and noninvasive access to biopsychological mechanisms of emotion regulation, and, consequently, to core aspects of therapeutic change. Therefore, this subproject promises, in the context of other subprojects of this Research Unit, a substantial contribution to the translation of basic research into clinical practice.

People

Sara Claassen, B.Sc.

Student Assistant

Franziska Jüres, M.Sc.

Research Associate

Prof. Dr. Julia Klawohn

Associated Researcher

Lea Rupp, B.Sc.

Student Assistant

Felicia Sperber

Student Assistant

Ruth Wewers, M.Sc.

Research Associate

Publications

2024

Sprengel, R., & Klawohn, J. (2024, October 9). Studying emotion regulation and inhibition in emotionally unstable personality disorder with psychophysiology—STEPS study protocol [Poster presentation]. 5187 PREACT Symposium: Precision Psychotherapy Signatures, Predictions, & Clinical Utility, Berlin, Germany.

2024

Wewers, R., Jüres, F., Kathmann, N., & Klawohn, J. (2024, June 11). Electrophysiological measures of emotional reactivity and emotion regulation in patients & healthy controls [Poster presentation]. 3. Deutscher Psychotherapie Kongress, Berlin, Germany.

2024

Wewers, R., Jüres, F., Kathmann, N., & Klawohn, J. (2024, June 29). Electrophysiological measures of emotional reactivity and emotion regulation in patients & healthy controls [Poster presentation]. The 49th Annual Meeting of Psychologie und Gehirn, Hamburg, Germany.

2024

Sprengel, R., Jüres, F., Hajcak, G., Kathmann, N., & Klawohn, J. (2024, October 23). ELECTROPHYSIOLOGICAL MEASURES OF EMOTIONAL REACTIVITY AND EMOTION REGULATION IN HEALTHY INDIVIDUALS AND PATIENTS WITH INTERNALIZING DISORDERS [Poster presentation]. Annual Meeting of the Society for Psychophysiological Research, Prague, Czech Republic.

2024

Jüres, F., Wewers, R., Hajcak, G., Kathmann, N., & Klawohn, J. (2024, June 11-15). Understanding Feedback Processing in Reward Tasks: A Comparison of Electrophysiological Correlates (RewP and P300) Across Two Paradigms [Poster presentation]. 3. Deutscher Psychotherapie Kongress, Berlin, Germany.

2024

Jüres, F., Wewers, R., Hajcak, G., Kathmann, N., & Klawohn, J. (2024, May 28-June 1). Neural correlates of feedback processing in internalizing disorders: A comparison of guessing and learning scenarios [Poster presentation]. The 49th Annual Meeting of Psychologie und Gehirn, Hamburg, Germany.

2024

Jüres, F., Wewers, R., Hajcak, G., Kathmann, N., & Klawohn, J. (2024, October 9). Neural Correlates of Feedback Processing in Internalizing Disorders: A Comparison of Guessing and Learning Scenarios [Poster presentation]. 5187 PREACT Symposium: Precision Psychotherapy Signatures, Predictions, & Clinical Utility, Berlin, Germany.

2024

Jüres, F., Kaufmann, C., Riesel, A., Grützmann, R., Heinzel, S., Elsner, B., Bey, K., Wagner, M., Kathmann, N., & Klawohn, J. (2024). Heart rate and heart rate variability in obsessive-compulsive disorder: Evidence from patients and unaffected first-degree relatives. Biological Psychology, 189, 108786. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsycho.2024.108786

2023

Wewers, R., Kathmann, N., Jüres, F., Klawohn, J. (2023, May 9-13). Associations between emotion processing and self-reports of emotion regulation [Poster presentation]. 2. Deutscher Psychotherapie Kongress, Berlin, Germany.

2023

Wewers, R., Kathmann, N., Jüres, F., Klawohn, J. (2023, June 8-10). Associations between emotion processing and self-reports of emotion regulation [Poster presentation]. 48th Conference „Psychologie und Gehirn“, Tübingen, Germany.

2023

Jüres, F., Wewers, R., Hajcak, G., Kathmann, N., & Klawohn, J. (2023, September 27 - Octobter 01). Comparing electrophysiological correlates of feedback processing across reward tasks: RewP and P300 in two paradigms [Poster presentation]. Annual Meeting of the Society for Psychophysiological Research, New Orleans, USA.

2023

Jüres, F., Wewers, R., Hajcak, G., Kathmann, N., & Klawohn, J. (2023, June 08-10). Neural feedback processing during a guessing and a learning paradigm: Comparison of the RewP and the P300 across tasks [Poster presentation]. 48th Conference „Psychologie und Gehirn“, Tübingen, Germany.

2023

Jüres, F., Elsner, B., Kaufmann, C., Kathmann, N., & Klawohn, J. (2023, May 09-13). Heart rate variability as a potential predictor for treatment outcome in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder [Poster presentation]. 2. Deutscher Psychotherapie Kongress, Berlin, Germany.

2023

Wewers, R., Kathmann, N., Jüres, F., Klawohn, J. (2023, September 27-October 1). Associations between emotion processing and self-reports of emotion regulation [Poster presentation]. Annual Meeting of the Society for Psychophysiological Research, New Orleans, USA.