Raise the age limits for junk food advertising

How come some people find it easy not to give that fast food joint a second glance, while others find their mouth watering as soon as they see it? And do children find it even harder to resist such temptations? Maybe the answers lie in our brain?

Floor van Meer • July 04, 2019

Pupil mimicry: a bonding mechanism

Did your mom ever ask: "Did you steal a cookie? Look at me!"- and you had to look away. Eyes are important social signals. Eye contact increases with familiarity and liking and seems trust-enhancing. What underlies this effect of eye contact on trust?

Eliska Prochazkova • July 16, 2018

The rewarding feeling of saying 'I told you so'

Have you ever experienced a feeling of satisfaction and an impulse to say “I told you so”? In our recently published fMRI study, we demonstrated the rewarding effect of being right, even in the case of a negative outcome like monetary loss.

Sandy Overgaauw • June 04, 2018

Brain changes underlying social anxiety: numbers count!

In a recent mega-analysis, researchers from Leiden University aimed to clarify the contradictory findings of research into social anxiety disorder. They found that to obtain reliable research results having the largest possible sample size is important.

Janna Marie Bas-Hoogendam • January 04, 2018

Love is in the… brain!

Do you celebrate Valentine’s Day? Even if you don’t, you probably express your love to your partner on other occasions. Love is something we all experience in life. What happens in the brain when we’re in love?

Neeltje Blankenstein • February 13, 2016

Empathy in adolescence: convenient or key?

Not everybody is equally competent at reading intentions, sharing emotions, and in estimating the needs of others. Sandy Overgaauw investigated the role of individual differences in empathy. How and why do we differ from a brain and behavioral perspective?

Sandy Overgaauw • February 16, 2015

To spy or not to spy? Bridging the gap between politics and clinical cognitive neuroscience

Suddenly the whole universe was shocked: “We are being spied upon!” But why? If countries and agencies spy on a macro level due to fear, why do people spy on a micro level? How does the brain function under such circumstances?

Klodiana Daphne Tona • January 22, 2014

Neuroscience in the classroom?

Neuroscientific results are increasingly popular amongst teachers. But what does it mean if children with learning disabilities show less activity in a certain brain area, and can we really use this information in the classroom?

Sabine Peters • October 30, 2013

Early dementia and functional brain networks

This image shows the devastating changes in the brain of a dementia patient. Finding an early marker of dementia is currently the Holy Grail of dementia research.

Serge Rombouts • January 28, 2013

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