Curriculum
Sven Benson is Associate Professor at the Medical Faculty, University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany. After completing his studies in psychology at the University of Trier, he received his PhD from the University of Duisburg-Essen in 2008 and his habilitation in 2013.
Interests
My research interests primarily focus on systemic inflammation and pain. Using experimental endotoxemia, we investigate the interaction between pain and negative emotions in the context of systemic inflammation. In addition, we analyze the psychological and neurobiological mechanisms of placebo analgesia and nocebo hyperalgesia.
Selected publications
Basedow LA, Fischer A, Benson S, Bingel U, Brassen S, Büchel C, Engler H, Mueller EM, Schedlowski M, Rief W (2023). The influence of psychological traits and prior experience on treatment expectations. Compr Psychiatry. 127:152431.
Benson S, Labrenz F, Kotulla S, Brotte L, Rödder P, Tebbe B, Theysohn N, Engler H, Elsenbruch S. (2023). Amplified gut feelings under inflammation and depressed mood: A randomized fMRI trial on interoceptive pain in healthy volunteers. Brain Behav Immun. 12:132-137.
Månsson KNT*, Lasselin J*, Karshikoff B, Axelsson J, Engler H, Schedlowski M, Benson S, Petrovic P, Lekander M (2022). Anterior insula morphology and vulnerability to psychopathology-related symptoms in response to acute inflammation.Brain, Behavior, and Immunity. 99: 9-16.
Benson S, Theysohn N, Kleine-Borgmann J, Rebernik L, Icenhour A, Elsenbruch S (2022). Positive treatment expectations shape perceived medication efficacy in a translational placebo paradigm for the gut-brain axis. Frontiers in Psychiatry, section Psychotherapy and Psychosomatic Medicine. 13: 824468.
Benson S, Engler H, Wegner A, Schedlowski M, Elsenbruch S (2020). Elucidating vulnerability to inflammation-induced hyperalgesia: Predictors of increased musculoskeletal pain sensitivity during experimental endotoxemia. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity. 88: 302-307.
Benson S, Rebernik L, Pastoors D, Brinkhoff A, Wegner A, Elsenbruch S, Engler H (2020). Impact of acute inflammation on the extinction of aversive gut memories. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity. 88: 294-301.
Lasselin J, Lekander M, Benson S, Schedlowski M, Engler H (2020). Sick for Science: Experimental endotoxemia as a translational tool to develop and test new therapies for inflammation-associated depression. Molecular Psychiatry. 26: 3672–3683.
Benson S, Hagen S, Hoffmann O, Pasler A, Bingel U, Schedlowski M, Peters J, Elsenbruch S, Frey UH (2019). Can a brief psychological expectancy intervention improve postoperative pain? A randomized, controlled trial in breast cancer patients. Pain. 160: 1562-1571
Benson S, Engler H, Wegner A, Rebernik L, Spreitzer I, Schedlowski M, Elsenbruch S (2017). What makes you feel sick after inflammation? Predictors of acute and persisting physical sickness symptoms induced by experimental endotoxemia. Clin Pharmacol Ther. 102: 141-151.
Engler H, Brendt P, Wischermann J, Wegner A, Röhling R, Schoemberg T, Meyer U, Gold R, Peters P, Benson S, Schedlowski M (2017). Selective increase of cerebrospinal fluid IL-6 during experimental endotoxemia in humans: association with depressive symptoms. MolPsychiatr. 22: 1448-1454.
Benson S, Rebernik L, Wegner A, Kleine-Borgmann J, Engler H, Schlamann M, Forsting M, Schedlowski M, Elsenbruch S (2015). Neural circuitry mediating inflammation-induced central pain amplification in human experimental endotoxemia. Brain Behav Immun. 48:222-231.
