BSC Lab Publications and received grants

Source: https://www.maastrichtuniversity.nl/publications-and-received-grants-bsc Parent: https://www.maastrichtuniversity.nl/

Publications of the Brain Stimulation and Cognition group

Lin, C. E., Chen, L. F., Chang, W. C., Sack, A. T., Chang, C. C., & Chang, H. A. (2026). Parietal alpha asymmetry as a diagnostic marker for depression and a predictive biomarker for anhedonia improvement after melatonergic antidepressant treatment. Journal of Affective Disorders, 400, Article 120977. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2025.120977

More information about this publication - Zhu, T. (2026). Probing and modulating motor inhibition: multimodal brain stimulation and imaging approaches to study cortico-subcortical network dynamics of inhibitory control. [Doctoral Thesis, Maastricht University]. Maastricht University. https://doi.org/10.26481/dis.20260304tz

More information about this publication - Chen, L. F., Chang, W. C., Chung, C. H., Sack, A. T., Lin, C. E., & Chang, H. A. (2026). Accelerated intermittent theta burst stimulation effectively and rapidly reduces suicidal ideation in depression patients: A randomized, sham-controlled study. Psychiatry Research, 357, Article 116926. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2025.116926

More information about this publication - Chu, C.-S., Lin, Y.-Y., Huang, C. C.-Y., Liang, W.-Z., Chang, W.-C., Sack, A. T., Chang, C.-C., & Chang, H.-A. (2026). Altered electroencephalographic microstate dynamics in major depressive disorder and their modulation by melatonergic treatment. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 194, 294-302. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2026.01.011

More information about this publication - Barata, P. C., Daftari, B., Pedersen, M. B., & Sack, A. T. (2026). Weekly trajectories of antidepressant response to transcranial magnetic stimulation - A retrospective cohort analysis. Journal of Affective Disorders, 396, Article 120869. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2025.120869

More information about this publication - Saricaoglu, M., Aktürk, T., Güntekin, B., Yücel, M. A., & Hanoglu, L. (2026). Delta response varies across problem types and aging, while theta remains predominantly occipital. Neuroimage, 326, Article 121687. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2026.121687

More information about this publication - van der Velde, T., Swartswe, J., Schruers, K., & Schuhmann, T. (2026). Monitoring adverse effects in TMS: From controlled trials to clinical reality. Current Opinion in Psychology, 67, Article 102187. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2025.102187

More information about this publication - Van Boven, A., Verde, V., Allaert, J., Razza, L. B., De Smet, S., Vanderhasselt, M., Baeken, C., Duschek, S., De Raedt, R., & Pulopulos, M. M. (2026). HF-rTMS Over the Left and Right DLPFC Enhances Proactive Cognitive Control: An Antisaccade and Pupillometry Study. Psychophysiology, 63(2), Article e70256. https://doi.org/10.1111/psyp.70256

More information about this publication - Salden, S., Xu, Y., De Smet, S., Peremans, K., De Witte, S., Dobbeleir, A., Van Eeckhaut, A., Saunders, J. H., Haverbeke, A., & Baeken, C. (2026). Rewiring canine anxiety: The impact of accelerated HF-rTMS on brain perfusion and behavioral outcomes in dogs. Veterinary Journal, 315, Article 106559. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tvjl.2026.106559

More information about this publication - Woolgar, A., Feredoes, E., Assem, M., Bassil, Y., Bergmann, T. O., Beynel, L., Burke, M., Cash, R. F. H., Comeau, R. M., Correia, M. M., Genc, E., Hartwigsen, G., Jackson, J. B., Kienle, M., Kunz, P., Leticevscaia, O., Luber, B., Lueckel, M., Mathiesen, C., ... Sack, A. T. (2026). Consensus guidelines for the use of concurrent TMS-fMRI in cognitive and clinical neuroscience. Nature Protocols, 21(1), 1-17. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41596-025-01182-4

More information about this publication - Wang, T., Capalbo, M., Duecker, F., & Sack, A. T. (2026). The merit of group-level analyses in TMS targeting: group-based task-driven TMS coil positioning can outperform individual approaches - evidence from resting-state-, diffusion-, and functional-MR. Neuroimage, 325, Article 121675. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2025.121675

More information about this publication - Boxum, M., Voetterl, H., van Dijk, H., Gordon, E., DeBeus, R., Arnold, L. E., & Arns, M. (2025). Challenging the Diagnostic Value of Theta/Beta Ratio: Insights From an EEG Subtyping Meta-Analytical Approach in ADHD . Applied psychophysiology and biofeedback, 50(4), 655-666. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10484-024-09649-y

More information about this publication - Prentice, A., Arns, M., Middleton, V., Bowman, J., Donachie, N., Kriske, J., Kriske, J., Sack, A. T., Downar, J., & Vinne, N. V. D. (2025). Clinical effectiveness of switching to right lateral orbitofrontal cortex-TMS after failure of sequential bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal-TMS in major depression. Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, 5, Article 100190. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.transm.2025.100190

More information about this publication - Enriquez-Geppert, S., Krc, J., van Dijk, H., deBeus, R. J., Arnold, L. E., & Arns, M. (2025). Theta/Beta Ratio Neurofeedback Effects on Resting and Task-Related Theta Activity in Children with ADHD. Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback, 50(4), 667-685. Article 102007. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10484-024-09675-w

More information about this publication - Koutsomitros, T., Koutsimani, P., Schuhmann, T., & Sack, A. T. (2025). Transcranial magnetic stimulation to treat 101 patients with depression and comorbid personality disorders in a real-world naturalistic clinical setting: feasibility, tolerability and effectiveness. Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, 5, Article 100184. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.transm.2025.100184

More information about this publication - Antal, A., Bjekic, J., Ganho-Ávila, A., Alekseichuk, I., Assecondi, S., Bergmann, T. O., Bikson, M., Brunelin, J., Brunoni, A. R., Charvet, L., Chen, R., Cohen Kadosh, R., Diedrich, L., D'Urso, G., Ferrucci, R., Filipovic, S. R., Fitzgerald, P. B., Flöel, A., Fröhlich, F., ... Et al. (2026). Low intensity transcranial electric stimulation: Safety, ethical, legal regulatory and application guidelines (2017–2025: An update) – endorsed by the European Society for Brain Stimulation (ESBS) and by the International Federation for Clinical Neurophysiology (IFCN). Clinical Neurophysiology, 184, Article 2111436. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clinph.2025.2111436

More information about this publication - Engelen, T., Schuhmann, T., Sack, A. T., & Tallon-Baudry, C. (2025). Cardiac, respiratory, and gastric rhythms independently modulate motor corticospinal excitability in humans. Plos Biology, 23(11), Article e3003478. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.3003478

More information about this publication - Lin, C.-E., Chen, L.-F., Chung, C.-H., Sack, A. T., & Chang, H.-A. (2025). Functional near-infrared spectroscopy as a biomarker of TMS efficacy in treatment-resistant depression. Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, 79(11), 765-775. https://doi.org/10.1111/pcn.13890

More information about this publication - Schoonjans, E., Li, Z., Allaert, J., Wezenbeek, E., van den Berghe, P., Helleputte, S., De Smet, S., De Raedt, R., & Vanderhasselt, M.-A. (2025). The combination of physical exercise and slow-paced breathing on psychophysiological indices of emotion reactivity, psychosocial stress reactivity and recovery: A multimodal investigation. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 194, Article 104852. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2025.104852

More information about this publication - Dijkstra, E. S. A., Rouwhorst, R., Zwienenberg, L., van Oostrom, I., van Dijk, H., Sack, A. T., & Arns, M. (2025). TMS-induced heart-brain coupling associated with early clinical response in depression. Brain stimulation, 18(6), 1744-1746. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brs.2025.09.013

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Research Funding and Grants

Grants awarded to Prof. Dr. Alexander T. Sack

ZonMW (2021-2028) Promising Care: Co applicant of promising care grant “Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) for exposure treatment-resistant obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) - TETRO, a multi-center randomized clinical trial (Budget: 2,8 Million Euro)
H2020-MSCA-IF-2017 (2019-2021): Principal Investigator of research grant “Fine-tuning the brain’s brakes – modulating inhibitory control with transcranial alternating current stimulation” granted by the European Union; financing a two-year PostDoc position (Budget: 165,598.80 Euro).
NWO Research Talent (2018-2022): Applicant of research grant “Can our brain undergo a sex-change? Studying brain changes and sexual wellbeing in transgenders” granted by the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO); financing a three-year PhD position (Budget: 200.000 Euro).
NWO Research Talent (2017-2021): Applicant of research grant “In control of attention: teasing apart the brain’s top-down mechanisms of attention allocation” granted by the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO); financing a three-year PhD position (Budget: 200.000 Euro).
NWO VICI (2016-2021): Principal Investigator of research grant “The rhythms of Cognition: Using simultaneous TMS-fMRI-EEG to integrate brain-wide network and oscillatory communication mechanisms for enhancing human cognition”, granted by the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO); financing a research group of several PostDocs and PhD students, and the equipment required for simultaneous fMRI & TMS & EEG measurements (Budget: 1.500.000 Euro; Grant number # 453-15-008).
KNAW Project Grant (2015): Applicant of an initiative to establish the Dutch-Flemish Society for Brain Stimulation; granted by the Royal Dutch Academy of Arts and Sciences, KNAW (Budget: 16.000 Euro)
NWO Research Talent (2013-2016): Applicant of research grant “’Modulating anti-correlated networks in early Alzheimer’s disease ‘a simultaneous TMS-fMRI approach” granted by the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO); financing a three-year PhD position (Budget: 171.363 Euro).
NWO Research Talent (2014-2017): Applicant of research grant “Modulating anticorrelated networks in early alzheimer’s disease ‘a simultaneous TMS –FMRI approache” granted by the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO); financing a three-year PhD position (Budget: 171.363 Euro; Grant number # 406-13-018).
KNAW Project Grant (2012): Co-applicant of an initiative to stimulate scientific integration and communication, entitled “Wie Goed ontmoet – Wetenschappers, leken en pubers in gesprek over de moraal’; granted by the Royal Dutch Academy of Arts and Sciences, KNAW (Budget: 15.852 Euro)
NWO Research Talent (2012-2015): Applicant of research grant “Brain rhythms and multisensory perception: Unraveling the basis of fundamental brain oscillations” granted by the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO); financing a three-year PhD position (Budget: 168.576 Euro).
NWO Brain and Cognition 2011 (2011-2016): Co-applicant of research grant “Will he aggress again and if so, can we change his mind? A new cognitive experimental and brain-system-based approach of reliably predicting future violent behaviour of antisocial offenders” granted by the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO); financing two four-year PhD positions (Budget: 500.000 Euro).
ERC-2010-StG Consolidator (2011-2016): Principal Investigator of research grant “Rebalancing the brain: Guiding brain recovery after stroke” granted by the European Research Council (ERC); financing a research group of several PostDocs and the equipment required for simultaneous fMRI & TMS & EEG measurements (Budget: 1.344.853 Euro; Grant number # 263472).
NWO Free Competition 2008 (2010-2013): Principal Investigator of research grant “The functional role of the brain’s default mode network: a simultaneous TMS-fMRI study” granted by the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO); financing a three year PostDoc position (Budget: 206.135 Euro; Grant number # 400-09-195).
NWO Free Competition 2008 (2009-2013): Principal Investigator of research grant “The neurocomputational basis of forming visual mental images from auditory descriptions: Investigations with simultaneous TMS and fMRI” granted by the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO); financing a four year Ph.D position (Budget: 186.995 Euro; Grant number # 400-07-230).
NWO Open Competition 2007 (2008-2012): Principal Investigator of research grant “The neurobiology of visual awareness and behavioral priming: Simultaneously measuring and manipulating the neural correlates underlying conscious visual perception and behavioral priming” granted by the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO); financing a four year Ph.D position (Budget: 186.995 Euro; Grant number # 400-07-048).
NWO VIDI 2006 (2007-2012): Principal Investigator of research grant “Visualizing virtual lesions and plasticity in the working human brain: simultaneously combining fMRI and TMS“, granted by the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO); financing a three year PostDoc position, a four year Ph.D position and the equipment required for simultaneous fMRI & TMS measurements (Budget: 600.000 Euro; Grant number #452-06-003).
NWO Open Competition 2005 (2006-2009): Co-investigator of research grant “Verifying the time course of cerebral activations during speaking” granted by the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO); financing a four year Ph.D position (Budget: 170.000 Euro; Grant number # 400-04-215).
NWO VENI 2003 (2004-2007): Principal Investigator of research grant “Top-down feedback signals in visuospatial attention and visuospatial imagery: combining studies with fMRI and TMS”, granted by the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO); financing a three year PostDoc position and the establishment of a TMS research laboratory (Budget: 200.000 Euro; Grant number #451–03–038).

Grant awarded to Dr. Nina Bien

AFR Postdoc grant (2011-2014): Applicant of research grant “Space oddities: Exploring the impact of number-space associations using TMS and EEG” granted by the Luxembourg National Research Fund (FNR); funding a two-year PostDoc position (Budget: 115.000 Euro).