Scientific output

Do you want to know what the world of tomorrow will look like?
Then read our scientific publications!

Our researchers are working to solve the most important challenges of our time. Their findings show us how we can shape a better future.

Research at the MRI-Lab Graz

Our dedicated researchers are passionate about tackling the most pressing challenges of our time. Their ongoing efforts generate insights that not only help us understand the status quo, but also point the way to an improved future. We are proud to announce that all studies from 2021 to 2023 are now available.

Discover the latest developments and insights gained during these years. Our research results provide a deep insight into the creative power of our scientists. We cordially invite you to join us on a journey through the future and set the course for sustainable and positive development together.

Publications 2023

Brain mechanisms for processing caress-like touch in skin-picking disorder

Schienle, A., Schlintl, C., & Wabnegger, A. (2023). Brain mechanisms for processing caress-like touch in skin-picking disorder. European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience.
Twelve weeks of physical exercise breaks with coordinative exercises at the workplace increase the sulcal depth and decrease gray matter volume in brain structures related to visuomotor processes.

Scharf, C., Koschutnig, K., Zussner, T., Fink, A., & Tilp, M. (2023). Twelve weeks of physical exercise breaks with coordinative exercises at the workplace increase the sulcal depth and decrease gray matter volume in brain structures related to visuomotor processes. Brain Structure and Function.
Atypical cerebellar activity and connectivity during affective touch in adults with skin-picking disorder

Wabnegger, A., & Schienle, A. (2023). Atypical cerebellar activity and connectivity during affective touch in adults with skin-picking disorder. Brain Imaging and Behavior.
Fast and functionally specific cortical thickness changes induced by visual stimulation

Zaretskaya, N., Fink, E., Arsenovic, A., & Ischebeck, A. (2023). Fast and functionally specific cortical thickness changes induced by visual stimulation. Cerebral Cortex, 33(6), 2823-2837.
Modulation of resting-state networks following repetitive transcranial alternating current stimulation of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex

Khan, A., Mosbacher, J. A., Vogel, S. E., Binder, M., Wehovz, M., Moshammer, A., Halverscheid, S., Pustelnik, K., Nitsche, M. A., Tong, R. K. Y., & Grabner, R. H. (2023). Modulation of resting-state networks following repetitive transcranial alternating current stimulation of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Brain Structure and Function, 228(7), 1643-1655.
Resting-state neural correlates of visual Gestalt experience

Wilding, M., Ischebeck, A., & Zaretskaya, N. (2023). Resting-state neural correlates of visual Gestalt experience. Cerebral Cortex, 33(11), 7175-7184.
From brain images to drawings - New insights informing the creativity-psychopathology debate

Benedek, M., & Fink, A. (2023). From brain images to drawings - New insights informing the creativity-psychopathology debate. Physics of Life Reviews, 44, 179-183.

Publications 2022

Handedness impacts the neural correlates of kinesthetic motor imagery and execution: A FMRI study.

Crotti, M., Koschutnig, K., & Wriessnegger, S. C. (2022). Handedness impacts the neural correlates of kinesthetic motor imagery and execution: A FMRI study. Journal of Neuroscience Research, May, 1-29.

Functional Connectivity as an Index of Brain Changes Following a Unicycle Intervention: A Graph-Theoretical Network Analysis.

Riedmann, U., Fink, A., Weber, B., & Koschutnig, K. (2022). Functional Connectivity as an Index of Brain Changes Following a Unicycle Intervention: A Graph-Theoretical Network Analysis. Brain Sciences, 12(8), 1092.

The association between local brain structure and disgust propensity.

Wabnegger, A., Schlintl, C., & Schienle, A. (2022). The association between local brain structure and disgust propensity. Scientific Reports, 12(1), 1327.

Triathletes are experts in self-regulating physical activity - But what about self-regulating neural activity?

Kober, S. E., Ninaus, M., Witte, M., Buchrieser, F., Grössinger, D., Fischmeister, F. P. S., ... Wood, G. (2022). Triathletes are experts in self-regulating physical activity - But what about self-regulating neural activity? Biological Psychology, 173(June), 108406.

Fast and functionally specific cortical thickness changes induced by visual stimulation.

Zaretskaya, N., Fink, E., Arsenovic, A., & Ischebeck, A. (2022). Fast and functionally specific cortical thickness changes induced by visual stimulation. Cerebral Cortex.

Increased insula activity precedes the formation of subjective illusory Gestalt.

Wilding, M., Körner, C., Ischebeck, A., & Zaretskaya, N. (2022). Increased insula activity precedes the formation of subjective illusory Gestalt. NeuroImage, 257(January), 119289.

Validity and reliability of a novel 3D ultrasound approach to assess static lengths and the lengthening behavior of the gastrocnemius medialis muscle and the Achilles tendon in vivo.

Habersack, A., Zussner, T., Thaller, S., Tilp, M., Svehlik, M., & Kruse, A. (2022). Validity and reliability of a novel 3D ultrasound approach to assess static lengths and the lengthening behavior of the gastrocnemius medialis muscle and the Achilles tendon in vivo. Knee Surgery, Sports Traumatology, Arthroscopy.

Negative respiratory sinus arrhythmia (nRSA) in the MRI-scanner - a physiologic phenomenon observed during elevated anxiety in healthy persons

Rassler, B., Schwerdtfeger, A. R., Schwarz, G., & Pfurtscheller, G. (2022). Negative respiratory sinus arrhythmia (nRSA) in the MRI-scanner - a physiologic phenomenon observed during elevated anxiety in healthy persons. Physiology & Behavior, 245, 113676.
Leadership and credition: Followers' neural response to leaders who are perceived as transformational

Bergner, S., Rybnicek, R., & Koschutnig, K. (2022). Leadership and credition: Followers' neural response to leaders who are perceived as transformational. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, 16.

Interference between naïve and scientific theories in mathematics and science: An fMRI study comparing mathematicians and non-mathematicians

Meier, M. A., Wambacher, D., Vogel, S. E., & Grabner, R. H. (2022). Interference between naïve and scientific theories in mathematics and science: An fMRI study comparing mathematicians and non-mathematicians. Trends in Neuroscience and Education, 29.
A neurobiological evaluation of soft touch training for patients with skin-picking disorder

Schienle, A., Schlintl, C., & Wabnegger, A. (2022). A neurobiological evaluation of soft touch training for patients with skin-picking disorder. NeuroImage: Clinical, 36.

Publications 2021

The processing of visual food cues during bitter aftertaste perception in females with high vs. low disgust propensity: an fMRI study.

Schienle, A., & Wabnegger, A. (2021). The processing of visual food cues during bitter aftertaste perception in females with high vs. low disgust propensity: an fMRI study. Brain Imaging and Behavior, 15(5), 2532-2539.

HE INFLUENCE OF SPATIAL RESOLUTION AND FIBER DENSITY ON THE FRACTAL DIMENSION OF CEREBRAL FIBER TRACTS.

Reishofer, G., Studencnik, F., Koschutnig, K., Deutschmann, H., Gunzer, F., Hassler, E., ... Wood, G. (2021). THE INFLUENCE OF SPATIAL RESOLUTION AND FIBER DENSITY ON THE FRACTAL DIMENSION OF CEREBRAL FIBER TRACTS. Fractals, 29(07).

The association between the propensity to experience meaningful coincidence and brain anatomy in healthy females: The moderating role of coping skills.

Unger, I., Wabnegger, A., & Schienle, A. (2021). The association between the propensity to experience meaningful coincidence and brain anatomy in healthy females: The moderating role of coping skills. Consciousness and Cognition, 91(April), 103132.

Processing of fMRI-related anxiety and bi-directional information flow between prefrontal cortex and brain stem.

Pfurtscheller, G., Blinowska, K. J., Kaminski, M., Schwerdtfeger, A. R., Rassler, B., Schwarz, G., & Klimesch, W. (2021). Processing of fMRI-related anxiety and bi-directional information flow between prefrontal cortex and brain stem. Scientific Reports, 11(1), 1-10.

Placebo Effects in the Context of Religious Beliefs and Practices: A Resting-State Functional Connectivity Study.

Schienle, A., Gremsl, A., & Wabnegger, A. (2021). Placebo Effects in the Context of Religious Beliefs and Practices: A Resting-State Functional Connectivity Study. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, 15(May), 1-8.

Neurophysiological indicators of internal attention: An fMRI-eye-tracking coregistration study.

Ceh, S. M., Annerer-Walcher, S., Koschutnig, K., Körner, C., Fink, A., & Benedek, M. (2021). Neurophysiological indicators of internal attention: An fMRI-eye-tracking coregistration study. Cortex, 143(Idc), 29-46.

Neural underpinnings of perception and experience of disgust in individuals with a reduced sense of smell: An fMRI study.

Schienle, A., Höfler, C., Keck, T., & Wabnegger, A. (2020). Neural underpinnings of perception and experience of disgust in individuals with a reduced sense of smell: An fMRI study. Neuropsychologia, 141(August 2019).

MRI-related anxiety can induce slow BOLD oscillations coupled with cardiac oscillations.

Pfurtscheller, G., Schwerdtfeger, A. R., Rassler, B., Andrade, A., & Schwarz, G. (2021). MRI-related anxiety can induce slow BOLD oscillations coupled with cardiac oscillations. Clinical Neurophysiology, 132(9), 2083-2090.

Metabolic Dynamics in the Prefrontal Cortex during a Working Memory Task in Young Adult Smokers.

Bagga, D., Cecchetto, C., Aigner, C. S., Tiraspolski, I., Koschutnig, K., Fischmeister, F. P. S., & Schöpf, V. (2021). Metabolic Dynamics in the Prefrontal Cortex during a Working Memory Task in Young Adult Smokers. European Addiction Research, 1-11.

Enjoyment of watching pimple popping videos: An fMRI investigation.

Wabnegger, A., Höfler, C., Zussner, T., Freudenthaler, H. H., & Schienle, A. (2021). Enjoyment of watching pimple popping videos: An fMRI investigation. Behavioral Brain Research, 402, 113129.

Can the interference effect in multiplication fact retrieval be modulated by an arithmetic training? An fMRI study.

Heidekum, A. E., De Visscher, A., Vogel, S. E., De Smedt, B., & Grabner, R. H. (2021). Can the interference effect in multiplication fact retrieval be modulated by an arithmetic training? An fMRI study. Neuropsychologia, 157(March), 107849.

Brain activation during the observation of real soccer game situations predicts creative goal scoring.

Rominger, C., Koschutnig, K., Memmert, D., Papousek, I., Perchtold-Stefan, C. M., Benedek, M., ... Fink, A. (2021). Brain activation during the observation of real soccer game situations predicts creative goal scoring. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience.

A two-week running intervention reduces symptoms related to depression and increases hippocampal volume in young adults.

Fink, A., Koschutnig, K., Zussner, T., Perchtold-Stefan, C. M., Rominger, C., Benedek, M., & Papousek, I. (2021). A two-week running intervention reduces symptoms related to depression and increases hippocampal volume in young adults. Cortex, 144, 70-81.