Your point of contact
Prof. Christine Stelzel
IPU Berlin
Alt-Moabit 91a, Room 2.20
10557 Berlin
Phone: +49 30 300 117-735
E-Mail: christine.stelzel(at)ipu-berlin.de
A fascination with the neuronal basis of complex human abilities is the foundation of our research.
Our research group investigates the neuronal basis of motivational and cognitive control processes in the context of various mental demands. These include:
- Multitasking situations in which several tasks are performed (almost) simultaneously.
- Working memory demands in which information must be briefly memorized and processed.
- Prospective memory demands in which intentions that have been formed are realized at a later point in time.
- Time estimation tasks, in which time intervals must be estimated without external aids.
We consider how motivational processes and inter-individual differences modulate the processing of such requirements from various perspectives. In addition to the role of external rewards, we also investigate how intrinsic motivation works and to what extent motivational and emotional processes jointly influence attention and cognitive control processes.
For this purpose, we use behavioral measures as well as neuroscientific methods, such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and psychophysiological methods (EEG). Currently, we are also using multivariate analysis methods to characterize the underlying task representations and relate them to individual differences and training effects.
Our main focus lies in understanding the role of prefrontal brain structures in their interaction with other cortical and subcortical regions. To explore the role of the neurotransmitter dopamine in this context, we also conduct genetic association studies, among other approaches.
We conduct many of our studies with young, healthy subjects in order to expand our basic understanding of the neurocognitive processes involved. In various collaborative projects, however, we also look at these processes over the lifespan, with a focus on changes and trainability in later adulthood.
Mueckstein, M., Görgen, K., Heinzel, S., Granacher, U., Rapp, M. A., & Stelzel, C. (2024). Multitasking practice eliminates modality-based interference by separating task representations in sensory brain regions. bioRxiv.
https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.03.26.586741
Hartmann, H., Guersoy, C., Lischke, A., Mückstein, M., Sperl, M. F. J., Vogel, S., Yang, Y.-F., Feld, G. B., Kastrinogiannis, A., & Koppold, A. (submitted). A curated list of scientific resources: 10 simple steps to navigate the resource jungle.
Preprint. URL: https://osf.io/jfh3t
Kontaxi, S., Kuchinke, L., Stürmer, B., & Stelzel, C. (2024). Self-Determination: Effects of Motivational and Affective Processing on Attentional Resource Allocation. Authorea.
https://doi.org/10.22541/au.172888403.34830546/v1
Gebel, A., Busch, A., Stelzel, C., Hortobágyi, T. and Granacher, U. (2022). Effects of Physical and Mental Fatigue on Postural Sway and Cortical Activity in Healthy Young Adults. Front. Hum. Neurosci. 16:871930. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2022.871930
Montag C., Solms, M., Stelzel, C., and Davis, KL. (2022) The future of the Affective Neuroscience Personality Scales: A reflection on seven pressing matters. Personality Neuroscience. Vol 5: e10, https://doi.org/10.1017/pen.2022.2
Mueckstein, M.; Heinzel, S.; Granacher, U.; Brahms, M:; Rapp, M.A. & Stelzel, C. (2022). Modality-specific effects of mental fatigue in multitasking. Acta Psychologica, 230. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actpsy.2022.103766
Brahms, M.; Heinzel, S.; Rapp, M; Mückstein, M.; Hortobágyi, T.; Stelzel, C*. & Granacher, U.* (2022). The acute effects of mental fatigue on balance performance in healthy young and older adults – A systematic review and meta-analysis. Acta Psychologica, 225, 103540. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actpsy.2022.103540 * shared senior authorship
Brahms, M., Heinzel, S., Rapp, M., Reisner, V., Wahmkow,G., Rimpel, J., Schauenburg, G., Stelzel, C*., & Granacher, U*. (2021). Cognitive-postural multitasking training in older adults – Effects of input- output modality mappings on cognitive performance and postural control. Journal of Cognition, 4(1), 20. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5334/joc.146 *shared senior authorship
Müller, C. J., Classe, F., Stürmer, B., Kuchinke, L., & Stelzel, C. (2021). Neurocognitive effects of self-determined choice and emotional arousal on time estimation. Advances in Cognitive Psychology, 5(2), 161-175. https://doi.org/10.5709/acp-0326-2
Valt, C., Huber, D., Kontaxi, S., Frank, J., Nörtemann, M., & Stürmer, B. (2021). The Processing of Visual Signals in Major Depressive Disorder. Clinical EEG and Neuroscience, 53(1), 37-44. https://doi.org/10.1177/15500594211019916
Brüning, J., Mückstein, M., & Manzey, D. (2020). Multitasking strategies make the difference: Separating processing-code resources boosts multitasking efficiency when individuals prefer to interleave tasks in free concurrent dual tasking. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 46(12), 1411-1433. https://doi.org/10.1037/xhp0000865
Bohle, H., Rimpel, J., Schauenburg, G., Gebel, A., Stelzel, C., Heinzel, S., Rapp, M., & Granacher, U. (2019). Behavioral and Neural Correlates of Cognitive-Motor Interference during Multitasking in Young and Old Adults. Neural Plast, 2019, 9478656. https://doi.org/10.1155/2019/9478656
Bruening, J., Ludwig, V. U., Paschke, L. M., Walter, H., & Stelzel, C. (2018). Motivational effects on the processing of delayed intentions in the anterior prefrontal cortex. Neuroimage, 172, 517-526. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2018.01.083
Stelzel, C., Bohle, H., Schauenburg, G., Walter, H., Granacher, U., Rapp, M. A., & Heinzel, S. (2018). Contribution of the Lateral Prefrontal Cortex to Cognitive-Postural Multitasking. Frontiers in psychology, 9, 1075. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01075
Heinzel, S, Rimpel, J, Stelzel, C., Rapp, M.A. (2017). Transfer effects to a multimodal dual-task after working memory training and associated neural correlates in older adults. Front Hum Neurosci, 11, 85. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2017.00085
Steimke, R., Nomi, J. S., Calhoun, V. D., Stelzel, C., Paschke, L. M., Gaschler, R.,Goschkte, T., Walter, H., Uddin, L. Q. (2017). Salience network dynamics underlying successful resistance of temptation. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci, 12(12), 1928-1939. https://doi.org/10.1093/scan/nsx123
Stelzel, C*., Schauenburg, G*., Rapp, M. A., Heinzel, S., & Granacher, U. (2017). Age-Related Interference between the Selection of Input-Output Modality Mappings and Postural Control-a Pilot Study. Front Psychol, 8, 613. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00613 *equal contribution
Heinzel, S., Lorenz, R. C., Pelz, P., Heinz, A., Walter, H., Kathmann, N., Rapp, M.A.*, Stelzel, C.*(2016). Neural correlates of training and transfer effects in working memory in older adults. NeuroImage, 134, 236-249. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2016.03.068 *shared senior authorship
Paschke, L. M., Dorfel, D., Steimke, R., Trempler, I., Magrabi, A., Ludwig, V. U., Schubert, T., Stelzel, C.*, Walter, H.*(2016). Individual differences in self-reported self-control predict successful emotion regulation. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci, 11(8), 1193-1204. https://doi.org/10.1093/scan/nsw036 *shared senior authorship
Sekutowicz, M., Schmack, K., Steimke, R., Paschke, L., Sterzer, P., Walter, H., & Stelzel, C.. (2016). Striatal activation as a neural link between cognitive and perceptual flexibility. Neuroimage, 141, 393-398. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2016.07.046
Steimke, R., Stelzel, C., Gaschler, R., Rothkirch, M., Ludwig, V. U., Paschke, L. M., Trempler, I., Kathmann, N., Goschke,T., Walter, H. (2016). Decomposing Self-Control: Individual Differences in Goal Pursuit Despite Interfering Aversion, Temptation, and Distraction. Frontiers in psychology, 7, 382. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00382
Paschke, L.M.*, Walter, H.*, Steimke, R., Ludwig, V.U., Gaschler, R., Schubert, T., & Stelzel, C. (2015). Motivation by potential gains and losses affects control processes via different mechanisms in the attentional network. NeuroImage, 11, 549-561. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2015.02.04761 *shared first authorship
Wiers, C. E., Stelzel, C., Gladwin, T. E., Park, S. Q., Pawelczack, S., Gawron, C. K., Stuke, H., Heinz, A., Wiers, R. W., Rinck, M., Lindenmeyer, J., Walter, H.*, & Bermpohl, F.* (2015). Effects of Cognitive Bias Modification-Training on Neural Alcohol Cue Reactivity in Alcohol-Dependence. Am J Psychiatry, 172(4), 335-343. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.2014.13111495 *shared senior authorship.
Ludwig, V. U., Stelzel, C., Krutiak, H., Magrabi, A., Steimke, R., Paschke, L. M., Kathmann, N., & Walter, H. (2014). The suggestible brain: posthypnotic effects on value-based decision-making. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci, 9(9), 1281-1288. https://doi.org/10.1093/scan/nst110
Soutschek, A., Stelzel, C., Paschke, L., Walter, H., & Schubert, T. (2014). Dissociable Effects of Motivation and Expectancy on Conflict Processing: An fMRI Study. J Cogn Neurosci, 27(2), 409-423. https://doi.org/10.1162/jocn_a_00712
Wiers, C. E., Stelzel, C., Park, S. Q., Gawron, C. K., Ludwig, V. U., Gutwinski, S., Heinz, A., Lindenmeyer, J, Wiers, R.W., Walter, H.*, & Bermpohl, F. (2014). Neural Correlates of Alcohol-Approach Bias in Alcohol Addiction: the Spirit is Willing but the Flesh is Weak for Spirits. Neuro- psychopharmacology 39(3), 688-697. https://doi.org/10.1038/npp.2013.252 *shared senior authorship.
Basten, U., Stelzel, C., & Fiebach, C. J. (2013). Intelligence is differentially related to neural effort in the task-positive and task-negative brain network. Intelligence, 41(5), 517-538. https://doi.org/10.3758/s13415-012-0100-3
Ludwig, V. U., Stelzel, C., Krutiak, H., Prunkl, C. E., Steimke, R., Paschke, L. M., Kathmann, N. & Walter, H. (2013). Impulsivity, self-control, and hypnotic suggestibility. Consciousness and cognition, 22(2), 637-653. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.concog.2013.04.001
Stelzel, C., Fiebach, C. J., Cools, R., Tafazoli, S., & D‘Esposito, M. (2013). Dissociable fronto-striatal effects of dopami-ne D2 receptor stimulation on cognitive versus motor flexibility. Cortex, 49(10), 2799-2811. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cortex.2013.04.002
Basten, U., Stelzel, C., & Fiebach, C. J. (2012). Trait anxiety and the neural efficiency of manipulation in working memory. Cognitive, affective & behavioral neuroscience, 12(3), 571-588. https://doi.org/10.3758/s13415-012-0100-3
Basten, U., Stelzel, C., & Fiebach, C. J. (2011). Trait anxiety modulates the neural efficiency of inhibitory control. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 23(10), 3132-3145. https://doi.org/10.1162/jocn_a_00003
Stelzel, C., & Schubert, T. (2011). Interference effects of stimulus-response modality pairings in dual tasks and their robustness. Psychological Research, 75(6), 476-490. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00426-011-0368-x
Stelzel, C., Basten, U., & Fiebach, C. J. (2011). Functional connectivity separates switching operations in the posterior lateral frontal cortex. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 23(11), 3529-3539. https://doi.org/10.1162/jocn_a_00062
Montag, C., Markett, S., Basten, U., Stelzel, C., Fiebach, C., Canli, T., et al. (2010). Epistasis of the DRD2/ANKK1 Taq Ia and the BDNF Val66Met polymorphism impacts novelty seeking and harm avoidance. Neuropsychopharmacology, 35(9), 1860-1867. https://doi.org/10.1038/npp.2010.55
Montag, C., Basten, U., Stelzel, C., Fiebach, C. J., & Reuter, M. (2010). The BDNF Val66Met polymorphism and anxiety: support for animal knock-in studies from a genetic association study in humans. Psychiatry research, 179(1), 86-90. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2008.08.005
Stelzel, C., Basten, U., Montag, C., Reuter, M., & Fiebach, C. J. (2010). Frontostriatal involvement in task switching depends on genetic differences in d2 receptor density. Journal of Neuroscience, 30(42), 14205-14212. https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1062-10.2010
Stelzel, C., Basten, U., Montag, C., Reuter, M., & Fiebach, C. J. (2009). Effects of dopamine-related gene-gene interactions on working memory component processes. European Journal of Neuroscience, 29(5), 1056-1063. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1460-9568.2009.06647.x
Stelzel, C., Brandt, S. A., & Schubert, T. (2009). Neural mechanisms of concurrent stimulus processing in dual tasks.NeuroImage, 48(1), 237-248. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2009.06.064
Montag, C., Basten, U., Stelzel, C., Fiebach, C. J., & Reuter, M. (2008). The BDNF Val66Met polymorphism and smoking. Neurosci Lett, 442(1), 30-33. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neulet.2008.06.064
Stelzel, C., Kraft, A., Brandt, S. A., & Schubert, T. (2008). Dissociable neural effects of task order control and task set maintenance during dual-task processing. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 20(4), 613-628. https://doi.org/10.1162/jocn.2008.20053
Schubert, T., Fischer, R., & Stelzel, C. (2008). Response activation in overlapping tasks and the response-selection bottleneck. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 34(2), 376-397. https://doi.org/10.1037/0096-1523.34.2.376
Stelzel, C., Schumacher, E. H., Schubert, T., & D‘Esposito, M. (2006). The neural effect of stimulus-response modality compatibility on dual-task performance: an fMRI study. Psychological Research, 70(6), 514-525. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00426-005-0013-7
van der Meer, E., Friedrich, M., Nuthmann, A., Stelzel, C., & Kuchinke, L. (2003). Picture-word matching: flexibility in conceptual memory and pupillary responses. Psychophysiology, 40(6), 904-913. https://doi.org/10.1111/1469-8986.00108
Kontaxi, S., Minné, D., Fischmann, T., Solms, M. & Stelzel, C. (2025). Twenty-two Years of Affective Neuroscience Personality Scales: Advancing Emotional Systems Research with the ANPS-PGL [Oral presentation]. The 24th Annual Congress of the International Neuropsychoanalysis Society (NPSA), New York, USA. npsa-association.org/events/npsa-congress-2025-new-york/
Mueckstein, M., Goergen, K., Heinzel, S., Granacher, U., Rapp, A. M. & Stelzel, C. (2024). Mitigating Modality-Based Interference: Multitasking practice and the distinctiveness of task representation in sensory brain regions [Poster presentation]. 46th Annual Meeting Cognitive Science Society (COGSCI), Rotterdam, Netherlands. www.cognitivesciencesociety.org/cogsci-2024/
Kontaxi, S., Stuermer, B., Kuchinke, L. & Stelzel, C. (2024). Self-Determination: Motivational and affective processing depend on task context [Poster presentation]. 49th Annual Meeting Psychologie & Gehirn (PuG), DGPS, Tübingen, Germany. www.pug2024.de
Mueckstein, M., Hilger, K., Heinzel, S., Granacher, U., Rapp, M.A., & Stelzel, C. (2024) Is similarity in functional brain connectivity across tasks related to modality-specific dual-task interference? [Poster presentation]. 49th Annual Meeting Psychologie & Gehirn (PuG), DGPS, Hamburg, Germany. www.pug2024.de
Mueckstein, M., Goergen, K., Heinzel, S., Granacher, U., Rapp, A. M. & Stelzel, C. (2024). Dual-task practice eliminates task interference by shaping task representations in sensory brain regions. [Talk as part of symposium “Changes for learning: how do changes in task-specific representations shape adaptive cognitive control?” organized by Schwarze, S. & Fandakova, Y]. & 66thTagung experimentell arbeitender Psychologen (TeaP), DGPS, Regensburg, Germany. www.conference-service.com/teap-2024-regensburg/
Kontaxi, S., Stuermer, B., Kuchinke, L. & Stelzel, C. (2023). Self-Determination: Motivational and affective processing depend on task context [Poster presentation]. 48th Annual Meeting Psychologie & Gehirn (PuG), DGPS, Tübingen, Germany. www.pug2023.de
Mueckstein, M., Brüning, J., Manzey, D. & Stelzel, C. (2023). Neurocognitive predictors of individual differences in task switching – the role of working memory, fluid intelligence and neural updating efficiency [Poster presentation]. 48th Annual Meeting Psychologie & Gehirn (PuG), DGPS, Tübingen, Germany. www.pug2023.de
Stelzel, C. , Paschke, L. M., Doerfel, D., Steimke, R., Ludwig, V. U. & Walter, H. (2025). Association of cognitive flexibility and attentional control with emotion regulation? Talk as part of symposium “Emotion Regulation: Neural underpinnings and assoications with executive functions” organized by Basten, U. & Karbach, J.]. 67thTagung experimentell arbeitender Psychologen (TeaP), DGPS, Frankfurt, Germany. Further information >>>