![[Translate to Englisch:]](/fileadmin/files/klinik-psychiatrie/_processed_/8/d/csm_Header_Prof._Frodl_oh._F.T.C.D_Kopie_709b86f188.jpg "Univ.-Prof. Dr. med. Thomas Frodl, M.A.")
Univ.-Prof. Dr. sc. hum Robin Bekrater-Bodmann, Dipl.-Psych. more
Scientific Center for Neuropathic Pain Aachen SCNAACHEN
Roermonder Str. 110, 52072 Aachen
Etage 1, Raum 18
Tel.: +49 241 99793-208
Fax: +49 241 80-3399-201
rbekraterbodukaachende
Secretary
Sabine Syrig
Scientific Center for Neuropathic Pain Aachen SCNAACHEN
Roermonder Str. 110, 52072 Aachen
Etage 1, Raum 1
Tel.: +49 241 99793-201
Fax: +49 241 80-3399-201
ssyrigukaachende
According to estimates, up to 12 million people suffer from chronic pain in Germany. The chronification of pain is based on a complex and hitherto poorly understood interplay of biological and psychological mechanisms. As a result, pain loses its function as an acute sensory warning signal, while the emotional component of pain comes to the fore. The 'Psychobiology of chronic pain' working group investigates the interactions between plastic changes in the (peripheral and central) nervous system and psychological processes (perception, experience, behavior) in order to better understand the development and maintenance of chronic pain. For this purpose, we combine psychometric, behavioral, and physiological methods, which we use in an experimental context in our pain laboratory and/or during functional magnetic resonance imaging. The aim is to derive innovative and mechanism-based therapeutic approaches. The focus of our research is currently on neuropathic pain syndromes (e.g., post-amputation pain, small fiber neuropathy) and pain processing in people with mental disorders (e.g., borderline personality disorder).
This research is supported, among other things, with funds from the HEAD-Genuit-Stiftung allocated to the Endowed Professorship in Psychobiology of Chronic Pain.
Dr. sc. hum. Annette Löffler, M.Sc. Psych.
Scientific Center for Neuropathic Pain Aachen SCNAACHEN
Roermonder Str. 110, 52072 Aachen
Etage 1, Raum 6
Tel.: +49 241 99793-213
Fax: +49 241 80-3399-201
aloefflerukaachende
Jessica Nunes, M.Sc. Psych.
Scientific Center for Neuropathic Pain Aachen SCNAACHEN
Roermonder Str. 110, 52072 Aachen
Etage 1, Raum 12
Tel.: +49 241 99793-211
Fax: +49 241 80-3399-201
jenunesukaachende
Maria Laukamp, M.Sc. Psych.
Scientific Center for Neuropathic Pain Aachen SCNAACHEN
Roermonder Str. 110, 52072 Aachen
Etage 1, Raum 12
Tel.: +49 241 99793-211
Fax: +49 241 80-3399-201
mlaukampukaachende
Leonie Borowczak, B.Sc. Psych.
Scientific Center for Neuropathic Pain Aachen SCNAACHEN
Roermonder Str. 110, 52072 Aachen
lborowczakukaachende
Elisha Hilbig
Scientific Center for Neuropathic Pain Aachen SCNAACHEN
Roermonder Str. 110, 52072 Aachen
ehilbigukaachende
Yannik Holzbaur
Scientific Center for Neuropathic Pain Aachen SCNAACHEN
Roermonder Str. 110, 52072 Aachen
yholzbaur@ukaachen.de
Pain and Pleasure: affective somatosensory processing and emotion regulation in borderline personality disorder
Principal Investigator: Robin Bekrater-Bodmann
Previous research highlights the role of pain in emotion regulation disturbances in borderline personality disorder (BPD). However, alterations in sensory-affective processing in BPD may also affect positively evaluated stimuli, such as pleasant touch (PT). Preliminary results suggest reduced sensitivity to both pain and PT in BPD. This project aims to characterize disturbed somatosensory processing, explore neural activity linked to pleasant and unpleasant touch, and assess the effects of affective touch on social stress. In addition, links to psychopathology will be explored. The project is being carried out in cooperation with the Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy at Central Institute of Mental Health in Mannheim.
Funding: German Research Foundation (DFG, BE 5723/6-1)
The role of multimodal body perception for endogenous pain modulation
Principal Investigator: Robin Bekrater-Bodmann
Endogenous pain modulation (EPM) describes the central nervous system’s ability to either suppress or enhance pain signals. There is evidence that conscious body perception can influence EPM. Since chronic neuropathic pain is often associated with disturbed body perception, we hypothesize that perception-dependent EPM contributes to pain chronification. By experimentally inducing body illusions in this project, we aim to uncover the precise psychobiological mechanisms linking body perception, nociceptive processing, and pain experience in both healthy individuals and those with neuropathic conditions.
Funding: Funds of the endowed professorship 'Psychobiology of Chronic Pain' (Head Genuit Stiftung)
Pain with or without nociceptive input and its role for emotion regulation in borderline personality disorder
Principal Investigator: Annette Löffler
Pain differs from nociception: while nociception is the neural encoding of noxious stimuli, pain is their conscious perception. In individuals with borderline personality disorder (BPD), pain has an emotion-regulating effect, which is associated with the frequent use of non-suicidal self-injury in this population. However, whether this effect is driven by processing nociceptive input or pain perception is unclear. The aim of this project is to disentangle the effects of nociceptive input and pain perception on emotion regulation in BPD.
Funding: Funded under the Excellence Strategy of the Federal Government and the Länder (StUpPD_481-24)
Thesis and Research Internships:
We continuously offer interested students the opportunity to write their master's or doctoral thesis with us. If interested, please contact the secretary Mrs. Sabine Syrig. Please include a meaningful motivation letter, your CV, and your grade point average with your application.
2026
Bekrater-Bodmann, R. & Ruttorf, M. (2026). Feeling (in)complete: neural correlates of perceived body integrity in individuals with lower limb amputation. Journal of Neuroengineeringand Rehabilitation.
Ho JT, Niedernhuber M, Frei V, Scattolin M, Bekrater-Bodmann R, Lesur MR, Waibel FWA, Lenggenhager B (2026). Behavioral and neural effects of virtual embodiment in individuals with Body Integrity Dysphoria. Journal of Psychiatric Research.
2025
Ho, J. T., Niedernhuber, M., Frei, V., Scattolin, M., Bekrater-Bodmann, R., Lesur, M. R., ... & Lenggenhager, B. (2025). Behavioral and neural effects of virtual embodiment in individuals with Body Integrity Dysphoria. Journal of Psychiatric Research.
Löffler, A., Kleinböhl, D., Gescher, D. M., Panizza, A., & Bekrater-Bodmann, R. (2025). Exteroception and the perceived (dis)connection of the body and the self: Implications for the understanding of dissociative self-experiences in borderline personality disorder. Personality Disorders: Theory, Research, and Treatment, 16, 160-172.
Beiner, E., Hermes, M., Reichert,J. Kleinke, K., Vock, S., Löffler, A., Ader, L., Sirazitdinov, A., Keil, S., Schmidt, T., Schick, A., Löffler, M., Hopp, M., Ruckes, C., Hesser, J., Reininghaus, U., Flor, H., Eich, W., Tesarz, J., and PerPAIN consortium (accepted) (2025). Early Life Adversity as a Predictor of Fibromyalgia Syndrome: The Central Role of Perceived Stress Over Endocrine Stress Indicators. Pain.
Khani, A., Bekrater-Bodmann, R., Fattahi, Z., Moradi, V., Rezaee, M., & Babaee, T. (2025). Development and validation of the Persian Prosthesis Embodiment Scale for Lower Limb Amputees. Disability and Rehabilitation, 47(20), 5368-5374.
Scheliga, S., Jo, H. G., Dohrn, M. F., Kellermann, T., Lampert, A., Rolke, R., Peschke, G. Z., van den Braak, N. W. M, Lischka, A., Bekrater-Bodmann, R., & Habel, U. (2025). Reduced functional resting-state connectivity in chronic pain patients with small fiber neuropathy. Journal of Pain, 105477.
Bekrater-Bodmann, R. (2025). When pain meets hope: case report of a suspended assisted suicide trajectory in phantom limb pain and its broader biopsychosocial implications. Scandinavian Journal of Pain, 25(1), 44.
2024
Beiner, E., Hermes, M., Reichert, J., Kleinke, K., Vock, S., Löffler, A., ... & Tesarz, J. (2024). Perceived and endocrine acute and chronic stress indicators in fibromyalgia syndrome. Scientific Reports, 14(1), 30471.
Atanasova, K., Lotter, T., Bekrater-Bodmann, R., Kleindienst, N., Thomann, A. K., Lis, S., & Reindl, W. (2024). Body Evaluation and Body Ownership in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease: the Role of Interoceptive Sensibility and Childhood Maltreatment. International Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 1-13.
Löffler, A., Beier, F., Bekrater-Bodmann, R., Hausner, L., Desch, S., Silvoni, S., ... & Flor, H. (2024). Reduced tactile sensitivity is associated with mild cognitive impairment. EBioMedicine, 99.
Löffler, A., Kleinböhl, D., Gescher, D. M., Panizza, A., & Bekrater-Bodmann, R. (2024). Exteroception and the perceived (dis) connection of the body and the self: Implications for the understanding of dissociative self-experiences in borderline personality disorder. Personality Disorders: Theory, Research, and Treatment.
2023
Bekrater-Bodmann, R., Kehl, I., Hafner, B. J., Ranker, A., Giordano, A., & Franchignoni, F. (2023). Rasch validation of the German translation of the Prosthetic Limb Users Survey of Mobility short forms in people with lower limb amputation. Prosthetics and Orthotics International, 47(5), 552-557.
Diers, M., Fuchs, X., Bekrater-Bodmann, R., & Flor, H. (2023). Prevalence of phantom phenomena in congenital and early-life amputees. The Journal of Pain, 24(3), 502-508.
Beier, F., Löffler, M., Nees, F., Bekrater-Bodmann, R., Silvoni, S., Desch, S., ... & Flor, H. (2023). Effects of an app-based sensorimotor training in promoting neuroplasticity and neuropsychological functioning in frailty: a randomized controlled trial. Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics, 115, 105202.
