Benjamin Becker

Using Light to Establish Habits in Laboratory Mice

This study validates an operant paradigm where mice lever-press for light as a reward, showing light can drive behavior independently of physiological needs or hedonic responses.

A neurofunctional signature of romantic love predicts rewards on social media, effects of oxytocin and drug-cue reactivity

The paper identifies a distinct neurofunctional signature of romantic love that generalizes to social media rewards and cannabis use, and is modulated by oxytocin.

Dorsal Striatum Silencing Attenuates Light Self-administration in Mice and Its Relevance to Digital technology-based Disorders

This study shows that silencing the dorsal striatum reduces light self-administration in mice, suggesting a role similar to drug addiction.

Disgust propensity, not disgust sensitivity, shapes the reactivity of a subjective disgust circuit in humans

This study investigates how disgust propensity and sensitivity influence neural responses to disgust stimuli, finding that propensity, not sensitivity, modulates activity in key brain regions.

A distributed neural architecture of sustained affect across external and internal experience

The paper identifies a distributed neural architecture of sustained affect that generalizes across external and internal experiences and is associated with depression symptoms.

Plasma proteomics reveal heterogeneous subtypes of depression linked to inflammation and aging

The paper identifies three depression subtypes using plasma proteomics, linked to inflammation, aging, and metabolic factors, with distinct clinical and neurobiological features.

Convergent and selective representations of pain, appetitive processes, aversive processes, and cognitive control in the insula

The paper identifies convergent and selective functional zones in the insula using fMRI data, revealing a hierarchical convergence architecture across pain, appetitive, aversive, and cognitive control domains.

State and trait serotonin variations interact to shape the intrinsic connectivity and gradient architecture of the brain: a combined TPH2 genetics and tryptophan depletion study

The paper investigates how genetic variations in TPH2 and transient serotonin changes affect brain connectivity and gradients using fMRI and genetic data.

Shared and distinct default mode systems in mental time travel and affective experience over time

This study uses fMRI to identify shared and distinct neural systems in mental time travel and affective experiences, showing the DMN's role in both and dissociations in valence and temporal processing.

Real-time functional connectivity-based neurofeedback of the DLPFC-amygdala pathway during threat-exposure attenuates anxiety

This study uses real-time fMRI neurofeedback to train individuals to regulate DLPFC-amygdala connectivity during threat exposure, reducing anxiety.

Capturing dynamic fear experiences in naturalistic contexts: An ecologically valid fMRI signature integrating brain activation and connectivity

Distinct neural moderators of resilience and vulnerability confer heterogeneous outcomes following early-life adversity

The paper identifies brain features that buffer or amplify effects of early-life adversity subtypes on psychopathology, introducing a Relative Resilience Index to predict mental health outcomes.

Does Unfairness Evoke Anger or Disgust? A Quantitative Neurofunctional Dissection Based on 25 Years of Neuroimaging

The paper uses neuroimaging data to dissect the neural differences between unfairness and moral emotions like anger and disgust, identifying distinct brain networks involved in each.

A neurofunctional signature of affective arousal generalizes across valence domains and distinguishes subjective experience from autonomic reactivity

The paper develops a brain affective arousal signature (BAAS) using fMRI and predictive modeling, showing its generalizability across valence domains and distinction from autonomic arousal.

Self-navigating the "Island of Reil": a systematic review of real-time fMRI neurofeedback training of insula activity

This review evaluates rtfMRI neurofeedback training targeting insula activity, finding it effective in modulating insula activity and suggesting guidelines for future studies.

Distinct Connectivity Signatures of Emotions Enhance Precision of Network Biomarkers in Mood Disorders

This study introduces DEFN, a novel approach using dynamic functional connectivity to identify emotion-specific neural signatures, improving classification accuracy for mood disorders.

Distinct neural computations scale the violation of expected reward and emotion in social transgressions

The paper models reward and emotional prediction errors in social transgressions using fMRI and finds distinct neural mechanisms for each, with reward PE having a stronger impact on punishment decisions.

A functional anatomical shift from the lateral frontal pole to dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in emotion action control underpins elevated levels of anxiety: partial replication and generalization of Bramson et al., 2023

The paper partially replicates and generalizes Bramson et al.'s 2023 findings on functional anatomical shifts in emotion action control related to anxiety using fMRI data from a different sample and paradigm.

Disruption of sustained attention and orbitofrontal cortex engagement by incoming social media messages vary as a function of problematic social media use

This study examines how problematic social media use affects attention and orbitofrontal cortex activity during social media distractions.

Oxytocin, but not vasopressin, decreases willingness to harm others by promoting moral emotions of guilt and shame

This study shows oxytocin, but not vasopressin, reduces willingness to harm others by increasing guilt and shame for intentional harm.

Signatures of social pain empathy: general and process-specific brain-wide representations of social exclusion and separation

This study identifies brain-wide neural representations for social exclusion and separation empathy using fMRI and multivariate pattern analysis, revealing both overlapping and distinct neural signatures.

Decoding the spatiotemporal dynamic neural representation of repetitive facial expression imitation

The paper examines how repeated facial emotion imitation affects neural spatiotemporal patterns in the mirror neuron system over time.

A neural signature for the subjective experience of threat anticipation under uncertainty

The paper develops a neural signature that predicts anxious arousal during uncertain threat anticipation using fMRI and multivariate modeling.

A brief real-time fNIRS-informed neurofeedback training of the prefrontal cortex changes brain activity and connectivity during subsequent working memory challenge

This study shows that a single session of fNIRS-informed neurofeedback training increases left DLPFC activity and alters connectivity during a working memory task without feedback.

Cortical gradient perturbation in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder correlates with neurotransmitter-, cell type-specific and chromosome- transcriptomic signatures

This study identifies cortical gradient perturbations in ADHD linked to neurotransmitter, cell type, and chromosome-specific transcriptomic signatures using neuroimaging and molecular data.

Decoding of resting-state using task-based multivariate pattern analysis supports the Incentive-Sensitization Theory in nicotine use disorder

This study uses fMRI and multivariate pattern analysis to show that wanting-related brain patterns persist longer in individuals with nicotine use disorder, supporting the Incentive-Sensitization Theory.

Rotten to the core - a neurofunctional signature of subjective core disgust generalizes to oral distaste and socio-moral contexts

The paper develops a neurofunctional signature of disgust using fMRI and machine learning, showing it generalizes across core disgust, gustatory distaste, and socio-moral contexts.

Fear of missing out (FOMO) associates with reduced cortical thickness in core regions of the posterior default mode network and higher levels of problematic smartphone and social media use

The central renin angiotensin II system: a genetic pathway, functional decoding and selective target engagement characterization in humans

This study characterizes the brain renin angiotensin II system's architecture and function using imaging transcriptomics and fMRI, showing AT1R's role in cognition and behavior through specific circuits and interactions with neurotransmitter systems.

Angiotensin blockade enhances motivational reward learning via enhancing ventral striatal prediction error and frontostriatal communication

This study shows that losartan improves reward learning by enhancing ventral striatal prediction errors and frontostriatal communication in healthy humans.