Jun.-Prof. Dr. Esther Diekhof

Meine Forschungsinteressen liegen in den Gebieten der Verhaltensbiologie und kognitiven Neurowissenschaften, mit einem besonderen Fokus auf der Erforschung biologischer Ursachen von Geschlechterunterschieden im menschlichen Verhalten und assoziierten hirnphysiologischen Prozessen. Ich untersuche dabei den modulierenden Einfluss verschiedener Steroidhormone (z.B. Östradiol, Testosteron) auf beobachtbares Verhalten (z.B. Impulsivität, Dominanzverhalten) sowie auf funktionsbezogene Aktivitäts- und Konnektivitätsmuster im menschlichen Gehirn. Weiterhin interessieren mich soziobiologische Fragestellungen zur Evolution von Geschlechterunterschieden in verschiedenen sozio-kognitiven Prozessen (z.B. im Kontext der Partnerwahl).

• Computerbasierte Verhaltensexperimente (Verhaltensbiologisches Testlabor im Biozentrum Grindel)
• Psychophysiologische Messungen (Elektroenzephalographie (EEG), Bestimmung der Hautleitfähigkeit, Blickbewegungsmessung) (Verhaltensbiologisches Testlabor im Biozentrum Grindel)
• Hirnbildgebende Studien unter Verwendung der funktionellen Magnetresonanztomographie in Kooperation mit dem Institut für Systemische Neurowissenschaften am UKE (Leitung: Prof. Christian Büchel)
• Bestimmung von Hormonkonzentrationen im Speichel mittels Immuno-Assays
• Anthropometrische Verfahren

2022

• Keller JK, Wülfing C, Wahl J, Diekhof, EK (2022). Disease-related disgust promotes antibody release in human saliva. Brain Behav. Immun. - Health 24, 100489.
• Kohne S, Diekhof EK (2022). Testosterone and estradiol affect adolescent reinforcement learning. PeerJ, 10: e12653.

2021

• Kohne S,  Reimers L, Müller M, Diekhof EK (2021). Daytime and season do not affect reinforcement learning capacity in a response time adjustment task. Chronobiology International, Vol. 38, No. 12: 1738-1744.
• Diekhof EK, Geana A, Ohm F, Doll BB, Frank MJ (2021). The Straw That Broke the Camel's Back: Natural Variations in 17β-Estradiol and COMT-Val158Met Genotype Interact in the Modulation of Model-Free and Model-Based Control. Frontiers of  Behavioral Neuroscience,  8;15:658769. Part of Research Topic "Sex Hormone Fluctuations Across the Female Lifespan: Mechanisms of Action on Brain Structure, Function, and Behavior."
• Diekhof EK, Richter A, Brodmann K, Gruber O (2021). Dopamine multilocus genetic profiles predict sex differences in reactivity of the human reward system. Brain Structure and Function, 226: 1099–1114.

2020

• Holtfrerich SKC, Knipper S, Purwins J, Castens J, Beyer B, Schlomm T, Diekhof EK (2020). The impact of long-term androgen deprivation therapy on cognitive function and socioeconomic decision making in prostate cancer patients.  Psycho-Oncology, 29 (8): 1338-1346.
• Diekhof EK, Korf S, Ott F, Schädlich C, Holtfrerich SKC (2020). Avoidance Learning Across the Menstrual Cycle: A Conceptual Replication. Frontiers in Endocrinology, 11: 231. Part of the Research Topic “Recent Progress and Perspectives in Neurosteroid Research”

2019

• Reimers L, Kappo E, Stadler L, Yaqubi M, Diekhof EK (2019). Endogenous testosterone correlates with parochial altruism in relation to costly punishment in different social settings. PeerJ 7:e7537https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.7537
• Richter A, Krämer B, Diekhof EK, Gruber O (2019). Resilience to adversity is associated with increased activity and connectivity in the VTA and hippocampus. NeuroImage. Vol. 23
• Schwarz KA, Sprenger C, Hidalgo P, Pfister R, Diekhof EK, Büchel C (2019). How Stereotypes Affect Pain. Scientific Reports 9, Article number: 8626
• Diekhof EK, Reimers L, Holtfrerich SKC (2019). Hormonal Modulation of Reinforcement Learning and Reward-Related Processes – A Role for 17ß-Estradiol, Progesterone and Testosterone, in: Schultheiss, O., Mehta, P. (Eds.), Routledge International Handbook of Social Neuroendocrinology. Routledge, London and New York, 420–441.

2018

• Sommer T, Richter K, Singer F, Derntl B, Rune GM, Diekhof EK, Bayer, J (2018). Effects of the experimental administration of oral estrogen on prefrontal functions in healthy young women. Psychopharmacology. Oct. 2018: 1-13.
• Holtfrerich SKC, Pfister R, El Gammal AT, Bellon E, Diekhof EK (2018). Endogenous testosterone and exogenous oxytocin influence the response to baby schema in the female brain. Scientific Reports. 8:7672, 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-26020-4
• Diekhof EK (2018). Estradiol and the reward system in humans. Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences, 23:58-64. Part of the Research Topic “Gender Differences in the Brain”
• Jakob K, Ehrentreich H, Holtfrerich SKC, Reimers L, Diekhof EK (2018). DAT1-Genotype and Menstrual Cycle, but Not Hormonal Contraception, Modulate Reinforcement Learning: Preliminary Evidence. Frontiers in Endocrinology, 9: 60. Part of the Research Topic “Steroids and the Brain”

2017

• Diekhof EK, Kraft S (2017). The association between endogenous testosterone level and behavioral flexibility in young men - Evidence from stimulus-outcome reversal learning. Hormones and Behavior. 89: 193-200. 
• Reimers L, Büchel C, Diekhof EK (2017). Neural substrates of male parochial altruism are modulated by testosterone and behavioral strategy. NeuroImage. 156: 265-276

2016

• Diekhof EK, Ratnayake M (2016). Menstrual cycle phase modulates reward sensitivity and performance monitoring in young women: Preliminary fMRI evidence. Neuropsychologia. 84:70-80. doi: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2015.10.016. Epub 2015 Oct 22.
• Holtfrerich SK, Schwarz KA , Sprenger C , Reimers L , Diekhof EK (2016). Endogenous Testosterone and Exogenous Oxytocin Modulate Attention Processing of Infant Faces. PLoS One. 2016 Nov 18;11(11):e0166617.  eCollection 2016.
• Trost S, Diekhof EK, Mohr H, Vieker H, Krämer B, Wolf C, Keil M, Dechent P, Binder EB, Gruber O (2016). Investigating the Impact of a Genome-Wide Supported Bipolar Risk Variant of MAD1L1 on the Human Reward System. Neuropsychopharmacology.  [Epub ahead of print]
• Zilles D, Lewandowski M, Vieker H, Henseler I, Diekhof E, Melcher T, Keil M, Gruber O (2016). Gender Differences in Verbal and Visuospatial Working Memory Performance and Networks. Neuropsychobiology. 73: 52-63. Epub 2016 Feb 10. 

2015

• Diekhof EK (2015). Be quick about it. Endogenous estradiol level, menstrual cycle phase and trait impulsiveness predict impulsive choice in the context of reward acquisition. Hormones and Behavior, 74: 186-93
• Reimers L, Diekhof EK (2015). Testosterone is associated with cooperation during intergroup competition by enhancing parochial altruism. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 9: 183  Free PMC Article
• Chahine G, Diekhof EK, Tinnermann A, Gruber O (2015). On the role of the anterior prefrontal cortex in cognitive 'branching': An fMRI study. Neuropsychologia, 77: 421-9
• Wolf C, Mohr H, Diekhof EK, Vieker H, Goya-Maldonado R, Trost S, Krämer B, Keil M, Binder EB, Gruber O (2015). CREB1 Genotype Modulates Adaptive Reward-Based Decisions in Humans. Cerebral Cortex, pii: bhv104. [Epub ahead of print]
• Richter A, Petrovic A, Diekhof EK, TroHyst S, Wolter S, Gruber O (2015). Hyperresponsivity and impaired prefrontal control of the mesolimbic reward system in schizophrenia. Journal of Psychiatry Research, 71: 8-15
• Goya-Maldonado R, Weber K, Trost S, Diekhof E, Keil M, Dechent P, Gruber O (2015). Dissociating pathomechanisms of depression with fMRI: bottom-up or top-down dysfuntions of the reward system. European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience, 265(1):57-66  

2014

• Diekhof EK, Wittmer S, Reimers L (2014). Does competition really bring out the worst? Testosterone, social distance and inter-male competition shape parochial altruism in human males. PLoS ONE, 9: e98977
• Reimers L, Büchel C, Diekhof EK (2014). How to be patient. The ability to wait for a reward depends on menstrual cycle phase and feedback-related activity. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 8: 401
• Diekhof EK, Gruber O (2014). Untersuchung funktioneller und effektiver Konnektivität mit fMRT. In: Gruber, O., Falkai, P. (Eds.): Systemische Neurowissenschaften in der Psychiatrie, Kohlhammer-Verlag
• Trost S, Diekhof EK, Zvonik K, Lewandowski M, Usher J, Keil M, Zilles D, Falkai P, Dechent P, Gruber O (2014). Disturbed anterior prefrontal control of the dopaminergic reward system and increased impulsivity in bipolar disorder. Neuropsychopharmacology, 39: 1914-1923

2012

• Diekhof EK, Keil M, Obst KU, Henseler I, Dechent P, Falkai P, Gruber O (2012). A functional neuroimaging study assessing gender differences in the neural mechanisms underlying the ability to resist impulsive desires. Brain Research, 1473: 63 -77
• Diekhof EK, Nerenberg L, Falkai P, Dechent P, Baudewig J, Gruber O (2012). Impulsive personality and the ability to resist immediate reward: An fMRI study examining interindividual differences in the neural mechanisms underlying self-control. Human Brain Mapping, 33: 2768-2784
• Diekhof EK, Kaps L, Falkai P, Gruber O (2012). The role of the human ventral striatum and the medial orbitofrontal cortex in the representation of reward magnitude - An activation likelihood estimation meta-analysis of neuroimaging studies of passive reward expectancy and outcome processing. Neuropsychologia, 50(7):1252-66

 2011

• Diekhof EK, Kipshagen HE, Falkai P, Dechent P, Baudewig J, Gruber O (2011). The power of imagination--how anticipatory mental imagery alters perceptual processing of fearful facial expressions. Neuroimage, 54(2): 1703-14
• Diekhof EK, Geier K, Falkai P, Gruber O (2011). Fear is only as deep as the mind allows: a coordinate-based meta-analysis of neuroimaging studies on the regulation of negative affect. Neuroimage, 58(1): 275-85
• Diekhof EK, Falkai P, Gruber O (2011). The orbitofrontal cortex and its role in the assignment of behavioural significance. Neuropsychologia, 49(5): 984-91

2010

• Diekhof EK, Gruber O (2010). When desire collides with reason: functional interactions between anteroventral prefrontal cortex and nucleus accumbens underlie the human ability to resist impulsive desires. Journal of Neuroscience, 30(4): 1488-1493
• Gruber O, Diekhof EK, Kirchenbauer L, Goschke T (2010). A neural system for evaluating the behavioural relevance of salient events outside the current focus of attention. Brain Research 10, 1351:212-21 

2009

• Diekhof EK, Falkai P, Gruber O (2009). Functional interactions guiding adaptive processing of behavioral significance. Human Brain Mapping, 30 (10): 3325-3331
• Diekhof EK, Biedermann F, Ruebsamen R, Gruber O (2009). Top-down and bottom-up modulation of brain structures involved in auditory discrimination. Brain Research, 1297: 118-123
• Gruber O, Melcher T, Diekhof EK, Karch S, Falkai P, Goschke T (2009). Brain mechanisms associated with background monitoring of the environment for potentially significant sensory events. Brain and Cognition, 69: 559-64

2008

• Diekhof EK, Falkai P, Gruber O (2008). Functional neuroimaging of reward processing and decision-making: A review of aberrant motivational and affective processing in addiction and mood disorders. Brain Research Reviews, 59: 164-184
• Diekhof EK, Gruber O (2008). [Functional organisation of frontal cortex. Part 1: Elementary findings in systemic neuroscience]. Fortschritte der Neurologie Psychiatrie, 76(1):49-57
• Gruber O, Diekhof EK, Falkai P (2008). [Functional organisation of frontal cortex]. Fortschitte der Neurologie Psychiatrie, 76(3):174-80

2011

• Diekhof EK. Trait impulsivity and interindividual differences in the neural mechanisms underlying self-control. Vortrag auf dem 17. Kongress der Organization for Human Brain Mapping in Québec/ Kanada.

2010

• Diekhof EK. The power of imagination. How mental imagery alters perception of fearful faces. Vortrag auf dem 16. Kongress der Organization for Human Brain Mapping in Barcelona/ Spanien.

2011

• Trainee Abstract Award der Organization for Human Brain Mapping (17th Annual Meeting of the Organization for Human Brain Mapping in Québec, Kanada)

• Stipendium des Deutschen Akademischen Austauschdienstes (DAAD) (Kongressreise “17th Annual Meeting of the Organization for Human Brain Mapping” in Québec, Kanada)

2009

• Stipendium des Deutschen Akademischen Austauschdienstes (DAAD) (Kongressreise “15th Annual Meeting of the Organization for Human Brain Mapping" in San Francisco, CA, USA)

2006

• Trainee Abstract Award der Organization for Human Brain Mapping (12th Annual Meeting of the Organization for Human Brain Mapping in Florenz, Italien)

• Stipendium der Deutschen Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) (Kongressreise “12th Annual Meeting of the Organization for Human Brain Mapping” in Florenz, Italien)

2005

• Trainee Abstract Award der Organization for Human Brain Mapping (11th Annual Meeting of the Organization for Human Brain Mapping in Toronto, Kanada)