Medical Psychology: How infections influence our social empathy

Researchers at the University Alliance Ruhr have discovered new insights into how acute illness affects empathy. Their study confirms complex relationships between physical well-being and empathy.

The researchers investigated "sickness behavior", a process in which the body reorganizes its biological priorities in the context of an acute infection.

When the cerebellum becomes active

A new study shows that the cerebellum is involved in processing emotions. This is important to know when caring for people with ataxia.

Professor Melanie Mark from Ruhr-University Bochum and Professor Dagmar Timmann from the University of Duisburg-Essen are two of the first researchers to provide experimental evidence that the cerebellum contributes towards both the learning and the extinction of conditioned fear responses. They report on this in the journal eNeuro on January 4, 2024.

The Second Brain in Our Gut

Wie ein Krebsgen Nervenzellen schützen kann (in German)

What Happens in the Brain When We Decide About Money or Food

When and How Does Touch Make a Difference?

A hug can have a beneficial effect. Even when it comes from a robot.

Touch can do a lot of good – so far, so good. But to what extent do humans benefit from it? A research team from Bochum, Duisburg-Essen and Amsterdam analyzed over 130 international studies with around 10,000 participants to answer this questions. The researchers proved that what touch really does is alleviate pain, depression and anxiety.

(In German) DFG-Förderung geht in die Verlängerung

Forschungsgruppe untersucht Online-Spielsucht und Internetpornografie

Verhaltenssüchte, wie sie bei ungesunder und exzessiver Nutzung von Computerspielen, Shopping, Internetpornografie und Sozialen Medien auftreten, nehmen seit vielen Jahren zu. Zu Auswirkungen, Ursachen und Verhalten besteht nach wie vor noch viel Forschungsbedarf. Die Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) hat die Förderung der transregionalen Forschungsgruppe* zu Verhaltenssüchten verlängert und mit weiteren fünf Millionen Euro ausgestattet.

What makes birds so smart?

Since the late 19th century, it has been a common belief among researchers that high intelligence requires the high computing capacity of large brains.

Avian brains, by contrast, are very small and lack any structure resembling a cortex. Nevertheless, scientists showed that parrots and corvids are capable of planning for the future, forging social strategies, recognizing themselves in the mirror and building tools.

Where Neural Stem Cells Feel at Home

Researchers from Bochum and Dortmund have created an artificial cell environment that could promote the regeneration of nerves.

Usually, injuries to the brain or spinal cord don’t heal easily due to the formation of fluid-filled cavities and scars that prevent tissue regeneration. One starting point for medical research is therefore to fill the cavities with a substance that offers neural stem cells optimal conditions for proliferation and differentiation.

Physical activity counteracts the negative consequences of being alone

Social isolation and loneliness are major societal problems.

Researchers from the Central Institute of Mental Health (CIMH) in Mannheim, in collaboration with scientists from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Ruhr University Bochum, Germany, and the University of Bern, have investigated the extent to which physical activity can mitigate the negative effects of being alone on affective well-being.

The Influence of the Cellular Environment on Vision

The environment of retinal nerve cells plays a crucial role in the processing of visual signals.

A research team from Ruhr University Bochum, together with other research groups, was able to show that the combined loss of four proteins leads to a severe impairment of the function of the retina, reduced visual movement processing and significant synaptic changes.