Publications
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Peer-Reviewed Publications & Book Chapters
GOOGLE SCHOLAR: see here
ORCID ID: 0000-0002-8920-5509
RESEARCHER ID: U-9166-2018
Preprints / Registered Reports / Under Review:
Modulation of Interbrain Synchrony by Emotional Valence and Maternal Presence in Mother–Child Dyads: Neural Links to Empathy and Attachment.
Rodrigues, R., Pereira, J., Costa, D., Correia, R., Simões, M., Direito, B., Vrtička, P., Sousa, T., Castelo-Branco, M. (under review).
Attachment Profiles and Biological Correlates: Oxytocin and HPA-Axis Methylation Across Relationship Contexts.
Dahan, D., Shoshani, A., Nasser Samra, N., Verbeke, W., Vrtička, P., Ein-Dor, T. (under review).
Parental Brain Responses to Own and Unknown Children’s Emotional Facial Expressions: An fMRI Study
Preckel, K.*, Bracher, A.*, Puhlmann, L., von Polier, G., White, L. O., & Vrtička, P. (under review). *= shared first authorship
From Attachment to Pain Inhibition: Neurobiological Correlates of Relationship-Based Differences.
Anabi, G., Shoshani, A., Nasser Samra, N, Verbeke, W., Vrtička, P., Ein-Dor, T. (under review).
Brain neuromarkers predict self- and other-related mentalizing across adult, clinical, and developmental samples.
Açıl, D., Andrews-Hanna, J. R., Lopez-Sola, M., van Buuren, M., Krabbendam, L., Zhang, L., van der Meer, L., Fuentes-Claramonte, P., Pomarol-Clotet, E., Salvador, R., Debbané, M., Vrtička, P., Vuilleumier, P., Sbarra, D. A., Coppola, A. M., White, L.O., Wager, T. D., Koban, L. (under review).
Precursors and behavioral correlates of preschoolers’ attachment representations: Links to fathers’ and mothers’ states of mind and behavioral sensitivity.
White, L., Gabler, S., Spangler, G., Ihme, H., Vrtička, P.*, and Kungl, M.* (under review).
The Creative Mind in the Shadow of Depression: How Epigenetic Modulation of the HPA Axis May Foster Creative Insight.
Feinmesser, D., Shohat, S., Gerda, R., Nin Nun, A., Shoshani, A., Nasser Samra, N, Verbeke, W., Vrtička, P., Ein-Dor, T. (under review).
Practitioner Review: Clinical Insights from Attachment Theory and Research for Professionals Working with Young Children and their Families.
J. E. Opie, E. Waters, R. Duschinsky, M. Hammarlund, S. Madigan, S. Foster, T. Forslund, R. Thompson, H. Steele, M. Steele, G. I. Roisman, A. M. Groh, P. Fonagy, O. Dagan, A. Talia, L. Rossen, L. A. Sroufe, E. Tronick, M. P. Fearon, P. Granqvist, A. Sagi-Schwartz, A. Lieberman, E. Carlson, P. Zimmermann, M. Dozier, A. Wazana, J. Belsky, P. R. Shaver, D. Cicchetti, G. Bosmans, C. Schuengel, K. Grossmann, C. Cyr, K. Dubois-Comtois, M. Verhage, A. Tharner, M. Oosterman, B. Allen, J. Crowellal, P. Vrtička, M. Woolgar, L.Raby, J. Holmes, R. S. Marvin, *M. H. van IJzendoorn, *M. Bakermans-Kranenburg (under review).
From good providers to sensitive interaction partners: Fathers’ role beliefs and their associations to paternal involvement, sensitivity and parenting stress.
Gabler, S.* & Kungl, M. T.*, Spangler, G., Kretschmer, T. & Vrtička, P. (under review). *= shared first authorship
Accepted / In Press / Published:
2025
Relational neuroscience: Insights from hyperscanning research.
De Felice, S.; Chand, T.; Croy, I.; Engert, V.; Goldstein, P.; Holroyd, C. B.; Kirsch, P.; Krach, S.; Ma, Y.; Scheele, D.; Schurz, M.; Schweinberger, S.R.; Hoehl, S.+; Vrtička, P.+ (2025). += shared senior authorship, alphabetical order.
Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, Volume 169, 105979.
Visualizing the Invisible Tie: Linking Parent-Child Neural Synchrony to Parents’ and Children’s Attachment Representations.
Nguyen, T.*, Kungl, M.*, Hoehl, S., White, L. O.§, Vrtička, P.§ (2025). *= These authors share first authorship. §= These authors share last authorship.
Developmental Science, 105979, 169.
The Dual Impact of Childhood Parental Loss: Epigenetic Modulation of Oxytocin and Dopamine Systems and its Association with Attachment and Creativity.
Dvilansky, A. S., Zadok, H., Shoshani, A., Nasser Samra, N., Verbeke. W., Vrtička, P., Ein-Dor, T. (published online 10 February 2025).
Scientific Reports.
Support or Stress? How Attachment and Relationship Dynamics Associate with Acute Psychosocial Stress in the Presence of the Romantic Partner.
Gallistl, M., Hamann, J., Croy., I., Vrtička, P.*, Engert, V.* (published online 28 May 2025). *= shared senior authorship.
Social Science & Medicine.
From Trauma to Resilience: Psychological and Epigenetic Adaptations in the Third Generation of Holocaust Survivors.
Oren, G., Shoshani, A., Nasser Samra, N., Verbeke, W., Vrtička, P., Aisnberg-Shafran, D., Ein-Dor, T. (Published online 18 July 2025).
Scientific Reports.
Securely Stressed: Association between Attachment and Empathic Stress in Romantic Couples.
Gallistl, M., Handke, L., Kungl, M., Gabler, S., Croy, I., Vrtička, P.*, Engert, V.* (Published online 12 September 2025). *= shared senior authorship.
Scientific Reports.
Challenging the negativity bias in affective scene viewing: The role of social content.
Fischer, A., Postin, D., Meiners, L., Kulke, L., Vrtička, P., and Schacht, A. (Accepted on 09 October 2025).
Social Cognitive Affective Neuroscience.
Subcortical Brain Structures Among Maltreated Youth With High and Low Externalizing Problems.
Schulz, C. C., Puhlmann, M. C. C., Folkens, L. von Klitzing, K., Deserno, L. , Vrtička, P.*, White, L. O.* (published online 08 December 2025). *= shared senior authorship.
European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry.
L’attachement, les soins et le cerveau parental (Attachment, caregiving, and the parental brain)
Vrtička, P., (Published online 23 December 2025).
Sage-Femmes.
Published in French.
Accepted / In Press / Published:
2024
Precursors and effects of parental reflective functioning: Links to caregivers’ attachment representations and behavioral sensitivity.
Kungl, M.*, Gabler, S.*, White, L. O., Spangler, G., Vrtička, P. (Published online 07 February 2024). *= These authors share first authorship.
Child Psychiatry & Human Development.
Serum Brain-Derived-Neurotrophic Factor increase after 9-month mental training is associated with decreased cortisol secretion and increased dentate gyrus volume. Evidence from a randomized clinical trial.
Puhlmann, L., Vrtička, P., Valk, S., Linz, R., Papassotiriou, I., Chrousos, G., Engert, V.; Singer, T. (Published online 10 November 2024).
Biological Psychiatry: Global Open Science.
Mother-infant interaction characteristics associate with infant falling reactivity and child peer problems at pre-school age
Rigato, S., Vrtička, P., Stets, M., & Holmboe, K. (2024).
PLoS ONE 19(6): e0302661.
Attachment and inter-individual differences in empathy, compassion, and theory of mind abilities.
Gallistl, M., Kungl, M., Gabler, S., Kanske, P., Vrtička, P.*, Engert, V.* (2024). *= shared senior authorship.
Attachment and Human Development, 26(4), 350–365.
A narrative on the neurobiological roots of attachment-system functioning.
Izaki, A., Verbeke, W., Vrtička, P., Ein-Dor, T. (published online 16 October 2024).
Communications Psychology.
Caregiver and Playmate? Mothers’ and fathers’ brain responses to ball-play with their child.
Acil, D., Puhlmann, L., White, L., and Vrtička, P. (published online 05 December 2024).
Cognitive, Affective, and Behavioral Neuroscience.
2023
Charting the Social Neuroscience of Human Attachment.
White, L. O., Kungl, M., Vrtička, P. (2023).
Introduction article to the Special Issue on The Social Neuroscience of Human Attachment.
Attachment and Human Development 25(1), 1–18.
2022
Deactivating attachment strategies associate with early processing of facial emotion and familiarity in middle childhood: An ERP study.
Kungl, M.*, Vrtička, P.*, Heinisch, C., Beckmann, M. W., Fasching, P. A., Ziegler, C., Spangler, G. (published online October 12, 2022). *= these authors share first authorship. https://doi.org/10.1080/14616734.2022.2132050.
Attachment & Human Development.
Attachment Anxiety Modulates the Gaze Direction-Related N170.
Burra, N., & Vrtička, P.. (published online August 04, 2022). https://doi.org/10.1080/14616734.2022.2091337.
Attachment and Human Development.
Plasma oxytocin is modulated by mental training, but does not mediate its stress-buffering effect.
Hoehne, K., Vrtička, P., Engert, V., Singer, T. (2022). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2022.105734.
Psychoneuroendocrinology, Volume 141, July 2022, 105734.
Emotional Maltreatment and Neglect Impact Neural Activation to Social Exclusion in Early and Mid-Adolescence: An Event-Related FMRI Study.
Schulz, C. C., von Klitzing, K., Crowley, M. J., Deserno, L., Schoett, M., Hoffmann, F., Villringer, A., Sheridan, M. A., Vrtička, P.*, White, L. O.* (2022). *= these authors share senior authorship. https://www.doi.org/10.1017/S0954579421001681.
Development and Psychopathology, 34, 573–585.
2021
Longitudinal associations between self-reported attachment dimensions and neurostructural development from adolescence to early adulthood.
Puhlmann, L., Derome, M., Morosan, L., Kilicel, D., Vrtička, P., Debbane, M. (published online 03 November 2021). https://doi.org/10.1080/14616734.2021.1993628.
Attachment & Human Development.
Hypothalamus volume in men: Investigating associations with paternal status, self-reported caregiving beliefs and adult attachment style.
Long, M., Puhlmann, L., Vrtička, P. (2021). https://doi.org/10.1080/17470919.2021.1997799.
Social Neuroscience, Volume 16, Number 6, Pages 639-652.
Neuroimaging of emotional dysregulation in multiple sclerosis: relationship with alexithymia.
van Assche, M., Simioni, S., Vrtička, P., Sander, D., Schluep, M., Vuilleumier, P. (2021). https://doi.org/10.4414/sanp.2021.03216.
Swiss Archives of Neurology, Psychiatry and Psychotherapy (SANP).
Contemplative mental training reduces hair glucocorticoid levels in a randomized clinical trial.
Puhlmann, L., Vrtička, P., Linz, R., Stalder, T., Kirschbaum, C., Engert, V. and Singer, T., (2021). https://doi.org/10.1097/PSY.0000000000000970.
Psychosomatic Medicine. 83 (8), 894-905.
The association between hippocampal structure and serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in healthy adults: a registered report.
Puhlmann, L. M. C., Linz, R., Valk, S. M., Vrtička, P., der Wael, R. V., Bernasconi, A., Bernasconi, N., Caldairou, B., Papassotiriou, I., Chrousos, G. P., Bernhardt, B. C., Singer, T., Engert, V. (2021). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118011. REGISTERED REPORT [link to OSF page].
NeuroImage, Volume 236, 1 August 2021, 118011 (Special Issue on “Registered Reports in Neuroimaging“).
Interpersonal neurobehavioral synchrony during father-child problem solving: An fNIRS hyperscanning study.
Nguyen, T., Schleihauf, H., Kungl, M., Kayhan, E., Hoehl, S.*, Vrtička, P.* (2021). *= these authors share senior authorship. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.13510.
Child Development, July/August 2021, Volume 92, Number 4, Pages e565–e580.
Exclusion Expected? Cardiac Slowing Upon Peer Exclusion Links Preschool Parent Representations to School-Age Peer Relationships.
White, L. O., Bornemann, B., Crowley, M. J., Sticca, F., Vrtička, P., Stadelmann, S., Klein, A. M., & von Klitzing, K. (2021). https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.13494.
Child Development, July/August 2021, Volume 92, Number 4, Pages 1274–1290.
A Guide to Parent-Child fNIRS Hyperscanning Data Analysis.
Nguyen, T., Hoehl, S., and Vrtička, P. (2021). https://doi.org/10.3390/s21124075.
Sensors (Section Biosensors; Special issue on “Brain Signals Acquisition and Processing”), 21, 4075.
Neural synchrony in mother-child conversation: Exploring the role of communicative features.
Nguyen, T., Schleihauf, H., Kayhan, E., Matthes, D., Vrtička, P., Hoehl, S. (2021). https://doi.org/10.1093/scan/nsaa079.
Social Cognitive Affective Neuroscience, Volume 16, Issue 1-2, Pages 93–102.
2020
White, L.*, Schulz, C.*, Schoett, M., Kungl, M., Keil, J., Borelli, J., Vrtička, P. (2020). Conceptual Analysis: A Social Neuroscience Approach to Interpersonal Interaction in the Context of Disruption and Disorganization of Attachment (NAMDA). Frontiers in Psychiatry – Social Cognition (part of Research Topic: Social Interaction in Neuropsychiatry). *= these authors share first authorship. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2020.517372.
Nguyen, T., Kayhan, E., Schleihauf, H., Matthes, D., Vrtička, P., Hoehl, S. (2020). The effects of interaction quality on neural synchrony during mother-child problem solving. Cortex, Volume 124, Pages 235-249, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cortex.2019.11.020.
Long, M., Verbeke, W., Ein-Dor, T., Vrtička, P. (2020). A Functional Neuro-Anatomical Model of Human Attachment (NAMA): Insights from First- and Second-Person Social Neuroscience. Cortex, Volume 126, Pages 281-321, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cortex.2020.01.010.
Miller, J., Shrestha, S., Reiss, A. L., Vrtička, P. (2020). Neural Bases of Social Feedback Processing and Self-Other Distinction in Late Childhood: The Role of Attachment and Age. Cognitive, Affective, and Behavioral Neuroscience, Volume 20, Pages 503-520. https://doi.org/10.3758/s13415-020-00781-w.
2019
Puhlmann, L., Valk, S., Engert, V., Bernhardt, B., Lin, J., Epel, E., Vrtička, P.*, Singer, T*. (2019). Association of Short-term Change in Leukocyte Telomere Length With Cortical Thickness and Outcomes of Mental Training Among Healthy Adults: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Network Open. Sep 4;2(9):e199687. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2019.9687. (*=these authors share senior authorship).
Miller, J.*, Vrtička, P.*, Cui, X., Shrestha, S., Hosseini, H., Baker, J., Reiss A. (2019). Inter-brain synchrony in mother-child dyads during cooperation: An fNIRS hyperscanning study. Neuropsychologia, Volume 124, 18 February 2019, Pages 117-124. (*= these authors share first authorship). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2018.12.021.
Dubourg, L., Vrtička, P., Pouillard, V., Eliez, S., Schneider, M. (2019). Divergent default mode network connectivity during social perception in 22q11.2 deletion syndrome. Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging, 291, pp. 9-17.
Przyrembel, M.*, Vrtička, P.*, Engert, V., & Singer, T. (2019). Loving-Kindness-Meditation – A Queen of Hearts? A Physio-Phenomenological Investigation on the Variety of Experience. Journal of Consciousness Studies, 26, 7-8, pp. 95-129. (*= these authors share first authorship).
Burra, N., Massait, S., Vrtička, P. (2019). Differential impact of trait, social, and attachment anxiety on the stare-in-the-crowd effect. Scientific Reports, Volume 9, Article number: 1797.
Puhlmann, L. M. C., Engert, V., Apostolakou, F., Papassotiriou, I., Chrousos, G., Vrtička, P.*, Singer, T.* (2019). Only vulnerable adults show change in chronic low-grade inflammation after contemplative mental training: evidence from a randomized clinical trial. Scientific Reports, Volume 9, 19323. (*= these authors share senior authorship).
2018
Schacht, A., Vrtička, P. (2018). Spatio-Temporal Pattern of Appraising Social and Emotional Relevance: Evidence from Event-Related Brain Potentials. Cognitive, Affective and Behavioral Neuroscience, 18:6, pp. 1172-1187. DOI: 10.3758/s13415-018-0629-x.
Ein-Dor, T., Verbeke, W.J.M.I., Mokry, M., Vrtička, P. (2018). Epigenetic Modification of the Oxytocin and Glucocorticoid Receptor Genes is linked to Attachment Avoidance in young Adults. Attachment & Human Development. DOI: 10.1080/14616734.2018.1446451.
Dubourg, L., Vrtička, P., Debbane, M., Chambaz, L., Eliez, S., Schneider, M. (2018). Neural correlates of socio-emotional perception in 22q11.2 deletion syndrome. Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders, 10:13. DOI: 10.1186/s11689-018-9232-2.
Lumma, A.-L., Valk, S., Böckler-Raettig, A., Vrtička, P., Singer, T. (2018). Change in Emotional Self-Concept following Socio-Cognitive Training relates to Structural Plasticity of the Prefrontal Cortex. Brain and Behavior, 2018;e00940. DOI: 10.1002/brb3.940.
2017
Vrtička, P., Favre, P., & Singer, T. (2017). Compassion and the brain. In: Compassion: Concepts, Research and Applications. Editor: Paul Gilbert. Routledge; 1st edition.
Vrtička, P. (2017). The Social Neuroscience of Attachment. In: Neuroscience and Social Science: The missing Link, pp. 95-119. Editors: Agustín Ibáñez, Lucas Sedeño, and Adolfo M. García. Springer International Publishing.
Lumma, A.-L., Böckler-Raettig, A., Vrtička, P., Singer, T. (2017). Who am I? Differential Effects of Three Contemplative Mental Trainings on Emotional Word Use in Self-Descriptions. Self and Identity, 16(5), 607-628.
Debbane, M., Badoud, D., Sander, D., Eliez, S., Luyten, P., & Vrtička, P. (2017). Brain activity underlying negative self-and other-perception in adolescents: The role of attachment-derived self-representations. Cognitive, Affective, and Behavioral Neuroscience, 17(3), 554-576. doi:10.3758/s13415-017-0497-9.
2016
Baker, J., Liu, N., Cui, X., Vrtička, P., Saggar, M., Hosseini, H., Reiss, AL. (2016). Sex differences in neural and behavioral signatures of cooperation revealed by fNIRS hyperscanning. Scientific Reports 6 (Article n° 26492), doi: 10.1038/srep26492.
Saggar, M.*, Vrtička, P.*, Reiss, AL. (2016). Understanding the influence of personality on dynamic social gesture processing: an fMRI study. Neuropsychologia, Jan 8;80:71-8. doi: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2015.10.039. (*= equal contributors).
2014
Vrtička, P., Sander, D., Anderson, B., Badoud, D., Eliez, S., Debbane, M. (2014). Social Feedback Processing from Early to Late Adolescence: Influence of Sex, Age, and Attachment Style. Brain and Behavior 4(5):703-720.
Debbane, M., Vrtička, P., Lazouret, M., Badoud, D., Sander, D., Eliez, S. (2014). Self-reflection and positive schizotypy in the adolescent brain. Schizophrenia Research, Jan;152(1):65-72.
Vrtička, P., Lordier, L., Bediou, B., Sander, D. (2014). Human amygdala response to dynamic facial expressions of positive and negative surprise. Emotion 14(1):161-9.
2013
Vrtička, P.*, Black, J.*, Reiss, A. (2013). The neural basis of humour processing. Nature Reviews Neuroscience 14, 860-868. (*= equal contributors).
Vrtička, P., Simioni, S., Fornari, E., Schluep, M., Vuilleumier, P., & Sander, D. (2013). Neural Substrates of Social Emotion Regulation: A fMRI study on Imitation and Expressive Suppression to Dynamic Facial Signals. Frontiers in Psychology – Emotion Science, 4:95.
Vrtička, P., Neely, M., Walter-Shelly, E., Black, J., Reiss, A. (2013). Sex-differences during Humor Appreciation in Child-Sibling Pairs. Social Neuroscience, 8(4), 291-304.
Vrtička, P., Black, J., Neely, M., Walter-Shelly, E., Reiss, A. (2013). Humor Processing in Children: Influence of Temperament, Age and IQ. Neuropsychologia, 51(13):2799-2811.
Vrtička, P., Sander, D., & Vuilleumier, P. (2013). Lateralized Interactive Social Content and Valence Processing within the Human Amygdala. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 6:358.
2012
Vrtička, P. (2012). Interpersonal Closeness and Social Reward Processing. Journal of Neuroscience, 32(37):12649-12650.
Vrtička, P., Sander, D., & Vuilleumier, P. (2012). The Influence of Adult Attachment Style on the Perception of Social and Nonsocial Emotional Scenes. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships 29(4), 530-544.
Vrtička, P., Bondolfi, G., Sander, D., & Vuilleumier, P. (2012). The Neural Substrates of Social Emotion Perception and Regulation are modulated by Adult Attachment Style. Social Neuroscience, 7(5):473-93.
Vrtička, P., Vuilleumier, P. (2012). Neuroscience of Human Social Interactions and Adult Attachment Style. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 6:212.
2011
Vrtička, P., Sander, D., & Vuilleumier, P. (2011). Effects of Emotion Regulation Strategy on Brain Responses to the Valence and Social Content of Visual Scenes. Neuropsychologia, 49(5), 1067-1082.
2009
Vrtička, P., Andersson, F., Sander, D., & Vuilleumier, P. (2009). Memory for friends and foes: The social context of past encounters with faces modulates their subsequent neural traces in the brain. Social Neuroscience, 4(5), 384-401.
2008
Vrtička, P., Andersson, F., Grandjean, D., Sander, D., & Vuilleumier, P. (2008). Individual attachment style modulates human amygdala and striatum activation during social appraisal. PLoS ONE, 3(8), 1-11.
Buchmann, A., Mondadori, C. R., Hänggi, J., Aerni, A., Vrtička, P., Luechinger, R., Boesiger, P., Hock, C., Nitsch, R. M., de Quervain, D. J., Papassotiropoulos, A., & Henke, K. (2008). Prion protein M129V polymorphism affects retrieval-related brain activity. Neuropsychologia, 46(9), 2389-402.
Monographies
Vrtička, P. Social neuroscience of emotion perception and regulation: the influence of context and individual differences. Doctoral Thesis. University of Geneva, 2009 – Neur. 43 – 2009/12/01. OPEN ACCESS [link]
Vrtička, P. Doxycycline as an anti-apoptotic substance in two in vitro models of alzheimer’s disease. Master Thesis. Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH), Switzerland, and Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea.
Mass Media Publications
Vrtička, P. Stigmata: Their Origin, Purpose, and Power. In: Afterwards. Contemporary Photography confronting the Past. By Nathalie Herschdorfer. Thames and Hudson, London. September 2011. ISBN 9780500543986. [Website]. Vrtička, P. Frank Schramm – Image N° 25: Emotion Regulation. Publication accompanying the exhibition “Frank Schramm – Stand ups, reporting live from ground zero“. Musée de l’Elyseée, Lausanne, Switzerland. 13.09.-20.11.2011.
Dr Pascal Vrticka (PhD, FHEA) 