Decision Neuroscience and Nutrition (DNN)
Profile of the Department
Our department investigates the relationships between nutrition, brain function and metabolism. On the one hand, we investigate how consumption decisions are made in the brain and how they can be changed and, on the other hand, what influence our nutrition has on brain and psyche. Deciphering the underlying mechanisms could be used effectively to change decisions and consumption behaviour towards a health-promoting diet.
Nutrition influences countless biochemical processes in the body, including certain processes in the brain. A central question of our department is: How do nutrition and metabolic processes influence our decisions and behaviour? In particular, we focus on reward-based decisions and decisions in a social context. Our goal is to break down decision behaviour into its various submechanisms and subsequently make predictions by:
- recording functional and structural neuronal data using magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and electroencephalogram (EEG)
- collect physiological data by measuring electrodermal activity, heart rate variability, gastric rhythm (EGG) and by recording eye movement (eye tracking)
- determine metabolic data (e. g. blood glucose, various hormones, amino acids in plasma and microbiome data) from blood and saliva tests
The knowledge gained should contribute to the development of novel intervention strategies that promote sustainable healthy lifestyles.
Team
Prof. Dr. Soyoung Q Park
Head of the Department DNNphone: +49 33 200 88 - 2510
e-mail: soyoung.park@dife.de
Significant Participations
The Department of Neuroscience of Decision and Nutrition (DNN) is represented in the DFG-funded Research Group 2698 "Cognitive Theory of Tourette Syndrome - A New Approach". The research group is coordinated by the University of Lübeck and has been funded by the DFG since 2018.
Gilles de la Tourette Syndrome (GTS) is a common multifaceted neuropsychiatric spectrum disorder clinically characterized by the presence of motor and vocal tics and classified as a neurodevelopmental disorder. Although there are a large number of studies on Tourette syndrome in both children and adults, no overarching concept or model of GTS exists to date.
Prof. Park continues to work in the research group since her move from the University of Lübeck to DIfE in 2019. In her subproject "Modulation of clinical phenomena and event file coding by repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation", the focus is on the study of supplementary motor and pre-supplementary motor areas (SMA and pre-SMA) which are significantly involved in the selection and preparation of internally generated actions, switching between different actions, and overcoming habitual actions. The hypothesis is that tics and urges in GTS represent 'state markers' of overactivity of the SMA associated with changes in the integration of perception and action. The underlying neurophysiological processes as well as their modulability using repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation of the SMA and pre-SMA are investigated in this project using EEG.
Publications
Zahedi, A., Artigas, S. O., Swaboda, N., Wiers, C. E., Görgen, K., Park, S. Q.: Neural correlates of changing food choices while bypassing values. Neuroimage 274:120134 (2023). [Open Access]
Zahedi, A., Öznur Akalin, R., Lawrence, J. E., Baumann, A., Sommer, W.: The nature and persistence of the effects of posthypnotic suggestions on food preferences: The final report of an online study. Front. Psychol. 14:1123907 (2023). [Open Access]
Bellucci, G., Münte, T. F., Park, S. Q.: Influences of social uncertainty and serotonin on gambling decisions. Sci. Rep. 12(1):10220 (2022). [Open Access]
Losecaat Vermeer, A. B., Muth, A., Terenzi, D., Park, S. Q.: Curiosity for information predicts wellbeing mediated by loneliness during COVID-19 pandemic. Sci. Rep. 12(1):7771 (2022). [Open Access]
Muth, A.-K., Losecaat Vermeer, A., Terenzi, D., Park, S. Q.: The impact of diet and lifestyle on wellbeing in adults during COVID-19 lockdown. Front. Nutr. 9:993180 (2022). [Open Access]
Rebollo, I., Tallon-Baudry, C.: The sensory and motor components of the cortical hierarchy are coupled to the rhythm of the stomach during rest. J. Neurosci. 42(11), 2205-2220 (2022). [Open Access]
Terenzi, D., Madipakkam, A. R., Molter, F., Mohr, P. N. C., Losecaat Vermeer, A. B., Liu, L., Park, S. Q.: Neural correlates underlying social-cue induced value change. J. Neurosci. 42(32), 6276-6284 (2022). [Open Access]
Terenzi, D., Muth, A.-K., Losecaat Vermeer, A., Park, S. Q.: Psychotic-like experiences in the lonely predict conspiratorial beliefs and are associated with the diet during COVID-19. Front. Nutr. 9:1006043 (2022). [Open Access]
Zahedi, A., Öznur Akalin, R., Lawrence, J. E., Baumann, A., Sommer, W.: The Nature and Persistence of Posthypnotic Suggestions’’ Effects on Food Preferences: An Online Study. Front. Nutr. 9:859656 (2022). [Open Access]
Fröhlich, E., Madipakkam, A. R., Craffonara, B., Bolte, C., Muth, A.-K., Park, S. Q: A short humorous intervention protects against subsequent psychological stress and attenuates cortisol levels without affecting attention. Sci. Rep. 11(1):7284 (2021). [Open Access]
Fröhlich, E., Samaan, L., Matsuzaki, R., Park, S. Q.: Humor and Hunger Affect the Response Toward Food Cues. Front. Psychol. 12:680508 (2021). [Open Access]
Liu, L., Artigas, S., Ulrich, A., Tardu, J., Wilms, B., Koletzko, B., Schmid, S. M., Park, S. Q.: Eating to dare - Nutrition impacts human risk decision and related brain function. Neuroimage 233:117951 (2021). [Open Access]
Rebollo, I., Schmidt, M., Longren, L., Park, S.: Influence of visual food cues on autonomic activity and craving. Biol. Psychol. 165:108197 (2021). [Open Access]
Bellucci, G., Park, S. Q.: Honesty biases trustworthiness impressions. J. Exp. Psy. Gen. 149(8), 1567-1586 (2020).
Melkonyan, A., Liu, L., Brown, E. C., Meyer, W., Madipakkam, A. R., Ringelmann, L., Lange, F., Schmid, S. M., Münte, T. F., Park, S. Q.: Unchanged food approach-avoidance behaviour of healthy men after oxytocin administration. J. Neuroendocr. 32(12):e12923 (2020). [Open Access]
Bellucci, G., Molter, F., Park, S. Q.: Neural representations of honesty predict future trust behavior. Nature Commun. 10:5184 (2019). [Open Access]
Bellucci, G., Münte, T. F., Park, S. Q.: Resting-state dynamics as a neuromarker of dopamine administration in healthy female adults. J. Psychopharmacol. 33, 955-964 (2019).
Madipakkam, A. R., Bellucci, G., Rothkirch, M., Park, S. Q.: The influence of gaze direction on food preferences. Sci. Rep. 9(1):5604 (2019). [Open Access]
Oroz Artigas, S., Liu, L., Strang, S., Burrasch, C., Hermsteiner, A., Munte, T. F., Park, S. Q.: Enhancement in dopamine reduces generous behaviour in women. PLoS One 14(12), 9 (2019). [Open Access]
Beyer, M., Liebig, J., Sylvester, T., Braun, M., Heekeren, H. R., Froehlich, E., Jacobs, A. M., Ziegler, J. C.: Structural gray matter features and behavioral preliterate skills predict future literacy - A machine learning approach. Front. Neurosci. 16:920150 (2022). [Open Access]
Chamorro, R., Kannenberg, S., Wilms, B., Kleinerüschkamp, C., Meyhöfer, S., Park, S. Q., Lehnert, H., Oster, H., Meyhöfer, S. M.: Meal Timing and Macronutrient Composition Modulate Human Metabolism and Reward-Related Drive to Eat. Nutrients 14(3), 562 (2022). [Open Access]
Janet, R., Ligneul, R., Losecaat-Vermeer, A. B., Philippe, R., Bellucci, G., Derrington, E., Park, S. Q., Dreher, J. C.: Regulation of social hierarchy learning by serotonin transporter availability. Neuropsychopharmacology 47, 2205–2212 (2022). [Open Access]
Müller, S. J., Teckentrup, V., Rebollo, I., Hallschmid, M., Kroemer, N. B.: Vagus nerve stimulation increases stomach-brain coupling via a vagal afferent pathway. Brain Stimul. 15(5), 1279-1289 (2022). [Open Access]
Sellitto, M., Terenzi, D., Starita, F., Di Pellegrino, G., Battaglia, S.: The Cost of Imagined Actions in a Reward-Valuation Task. Brain Sci. 12(5):582 (2022). [Open Access]
Terenzi, D., Catalan, M., Polverino, P., Bertolotti, C., Manganotti, P., Rumiati, R. I., Aiello, M.: Effects of tDCS on reward responsiveness and valuation in Parkinson’s patients with impulse control disorders. J. Neurol. 269, 1557–1565 (2022). [Open Access]
Wang, Z. L., Potenza, M. N., Song, K. R., Fang, X. Y., Liu, L., Ma, S. S., Xia, C. C., Lan, J., Yao, Y. W., Zhang, J. T.: Neural classification of internet gaming disorder and prediction of treatment response using a cue-reactivity fMRI task in young men. J. Psychiatr. Res. 145, 309-316 (2022).
Liu, L., Potenza, M. N., Lacadie, C. M., Zhang, J. T., Yip, S. W., Xia, C. C., Lan, J., Yao, Y. W., Deng, L. Y., Park, S. Q., Fang, X. Y.: Altered intrinsic connectivity distribution in internet gaming disorder and its associations with psychotherapy treatment outcomes. Addict. Biol. 26(2):e12917 (2021).
Ma, S. S., Li, C. S. R., Zhang, S., Worhunsky, P. D., Zhou, N., Zhang, J. T., Liu, L., Yao, Y. W., Fang, X. Y.: Altered functional network activities for behavioral adjustments and Bayesian learning in young men with Internet gaming disorder. J. Behav. Addict. 10(1), 112–122 (2021). [Open Access]
Song, K. R., Potenza, M. N., Fang, X. Y., Gong, G. L., Yao, Y. W., Wang, Z. L., Liu, L., Ma, S. S., Xia, C. C., Lan, J., Deng, L. Y., Wu, L. L., Zhang, J. T.: Resting-state connectome-based support-vector-machine predictive modeling of internet gaming disorder. Addict. Biol. 26(4):e12969 (2021).
Veselic, S., Jocham, G., Gausterer, C., Wagner, B., Ernhoefer-Reßler, M., Lanzenberger, R., Eisenegger, C., Lamm, C., Losecaat Vermeer, A.: A causal role of estradiol in human reinforcement learning. Horm. Behav. 134:105022 (2021).
Bellucci, G., Munte, T. F., Park, S. Q.: Effects of a dopamine agonist on trusting behaviors in females. Psychopharm. (Berl) 237(6), 1671–1680 (2020).
Hofmann-Shen, C., Vogel, B. O., Kaffes, M., Rudolph, A., Brown, E. C., Tas, C., Brune, M., Neuhaus, A. H.: Mapping adaptation, deviance detection, and prediction error in auditory processing. NeuroImage 207:116432 (2020).
Kumschick, I. R., Thiel, F., Goschin, C., Froehlich, E.: Decision-Making in Teaching Processes and the Role of Mood: A Study with Preservice Teachers in Germany. Intern. J. Emot. Educ. 12(2), 56-72 (2020). [Open Access]
Sadler, J. R., Shearrer, G. E., Acosta, N. T., Papantoni, A., Cohen, J. R., Small, D. M., Park, S. Q., Gordon-Larsen, P., Burger, K. S.: Network organization during probabilistic learning via taste outcomes. Physiol. Behav. 223:112962 (2020).
Wiesenfeller, J., Flasbeck, V., Brown, E. C., Brüne, M.: Approach and Avoidance Behavior in Female Patients With Borderline Personality Disorder. Front. Behav. Neurosci. 14:588874 (2020). [Open Access]
Yao, Y. W., Liu, L., Worhunsky, P. D., Lichenstein, S., Ma, S. S., Zhu, L., Shi, X. H., Yang, S., Zhang, J. T. and Yip, S. W.: Is monetary reward processing altered in drug-naïve youth with a behavioral addiction? Findings from internet gaming disorder. NeuroImage: Clin. 26:102202 (2020). [Open Access]
Kleimaker, M., Kleimaker, A., Beste, C., Park, S. Q., Munchau, A. M.: Gilles de la Tourette Syndrome A Model Disorder of Increased Perception-Action Binding?. Zeitschrift Fur Neuropsychologie 30(4), 215-221 (2019).
Waclawek, T., Park, S. Q.: Potential mechanisms and modulators of food intake during pregnancy. Front. Nutr. 10:1032430 (2023). [Open Access]
Terenzi, D., Muth, A.-K., Park, S. Q.: Nutrition and Gut-Brain Pathways Impacting the Onset of Parkinson’’s Disease. Nutrients 14(14):2781 (2022). [Open Access]
Yao, Y. W., Zhang, J. T., Fang, X. Y., Liu, L., Potenza, M. N.: Reward-related Decision-making Deficits in Internet Gaming Disorder: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Addiction 117(1), 19-32 (2022). [Open Access]
Muth, A.-K., Park, S. Q.: The impact of dietary macronutrient intake on cognitive function and the brain. Clin. Nutr. 40(6), 3999-4010 (2021).
Rebollo, I., Wolpert, N., Tallon-Baudry, C.: Brain-stomach coupling: anatomy, functions, and future avenues of research. Curr. Opin. Biomed. Engin. 18:100270 (2021).
Terenzi, D., Liu, L., Bellucci, G., Park, S. Q.: Determinants and modulators of human social decisions. Neurosci. Biobehav. Rev. 128, 383-393 (2021). [Open Access]
Brown, E. C., Park, S. Q.: Obesity and addiction. Nat. Hum. Behav. 4, 10-11 (2020).
Boosting Health by Nutrition Research.
DIfE is a member of the
Leibniz Association
EUROPEAN UNION
European Regional
Development Fund
