The Imaging Facility for Clinical Neuroscience and Cognition (CNC) is an advanced research infrastructure within the University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG), dedicated to supporting academic and industrial brain research, for researchers from UMCG and University Groningen (RUG), but also for external parties. The facility offers comprehensive support throughout the entire research process: from experimental setup to pilot testing, patient or healthy participant enrollment and supervision, data acquisition, advanced data analysis, and publication. What the facility offers:
In addition, we facilitate multi-modal research through collaborations within the UMCG. For example, we offer EEG, EMG, and diagnostic TMS through the clinical neurophysiology department and utilize the TMS lab in treatment settings in collaboration with the psychiatry or neurology departments. Together with the PET center, we offer multi-imaging combinations of MRI and additional PET scans with a large number of tracers; see the Medical Imaging Center (MIC).
The CNC facility has been operational since 2004 and welcomes collaborations with academic institutions, pharmaceutical companies, and clinical researchers. Researchers are invited to contact us and explore how the facility can enhance their research.
Some examples of projects from our facility:
We have looked at the relation between brain network connectivity and neuroticism for a healthy population (Servaas et al) . We created a movie to visualise this effect using network analysis and spring directed graph layout. As can be seen in the movie, the network of a brain at REST becomes less modular with increasing scores on a neuroticism scale. That is the distinction between functional units in the brain becomes less clear with increasing neuroticism.
We applied advanced, temporally resolved network analysis to interrogate what changes in a brain during auditory hallucinations (Marschall et al). To this end, we calculated how well selected brain areas are connected at each point in time by looking at their instantaneous phase. If two brain areas are in phase, a strong connection is presumed at that point in time. This dynamic coherence pattern could be divided into nine so called phase locking patterns using the Leading Eigenvector Dynamics Analysis (LeiDA) in combination with k-means clustering. Each phase locking pattern indicates a “mode” of the brain. Switching between these modes was more erratic during auditory hallucinations than during periods of their absence.
Deng W, Dickhoff J, Opmeer EM, Marsman JC, Knegtering H, de Keijser J, Broersma TW, Schoevers RA, Aleman A, van Tol MJ (2025). Neural correlates of positive future-oriented thinking related to recent suicide attempts, suicidal ideation, and hopelessness in individuals with psychopathology. Psychiatry Res;352:116671. doi: 10.1016/j.psychres.2025.116671.
This study explored how people, who recently attempted suicide, imagine future events. Results showed that patients with psychiatric problems, found it harder to vividly imagine these events compared to healthy individuals. There was no clear difference between those who had recently attempted suicide and those who hadn’t. For participants who had recently attempted suicide, feelings of hopelessness were strongly linked activation of brain regions implicated in reward processing and emotion regulation. The study suggests that difficulties in imagining a positive future may not directly lead to suicide attempts. Rather,reduced brain activity in areas related to emotion and reward may contribute to suicidal thoughts through increased hopelessness. These findings highlight the complex relationship between future thinking, emotional health, and suicide risk.
Discover how the Neuro-Imaging facility has driven over 200 projects since 2004, from intricate fMRI-guided TMS to large-scale imaging studies. Explore our collaborative work with diverse partners like Lode, ICON, and CTC.
Portfolio Imaging facility for Clinical Neuroscience and Cognition
To explore options, please contact us at [email protected]. We are looking forward to meeting you and discuss how our facility can aid your research.
The following services are provided:
For EEG, PET and other MRI modalities, we work closely together with the department of Neurosurgery (EEG), radiology (MR) and nuclear medicine (MiC).
Characteristics MRI:
Fully equipped for high end scientific research
General e-mail: [email protected]
Imaging facility for Clinical Neuroscience and Cognition
Hanzeplein 1
Triade, entrance 24
9713 GZ Groningen
The Netherlands
