Dr Paula Banca University positionResearch Associate DepartmentsInstitutesBehavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute Home pagehttp://www.bcni.psychol.cam.ac.uk/directo... Research ThemeInterestsMy research is aimed at understanding the neural mechanisms underlying action control with the purpose of developing more effective treatments in psychiatric diseases. I am interested in compulsive disorders, particularly Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. I am currently working with Professor Trevor Robbins, as a postdoc, exploring possible dysfunctions in habit formation and perseveration in OCD. Research Focus
EquipmentBehavioural analysis Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) Neuropsychological testing Collaborators
Associated News ItemsKey publicationsBanca P, Vestergaard MD, Rankov V, Baek K, Mitchell S, Lapa T, Castelo-Branco M, Voon V (2015), “Evidence accumulation in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: the role of uncertainty and monetary reward on perceptual decision-making thresholds” Neuropsychopharmacology 40(5): 1192-202 Banca P, Voon V, Vestergaard MD, Philipiak G, Almeida I, Pocinho F, Relvas J and Castelo-Branco M (2015), “Imbalance in habitual vs. goal directed neural systems during symptom provocation in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder” Brain 138(3): 798-811 Publications2016Rounis E, Banca P, Voon V (2016), “Deficits in Limb Praxis in Patients With Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder” J Neuropsychiatry Clin Neurosci 2015Banca P, Lange I, Worbe Y, Howell NA, Irvine M, Harrison NA, Moutoussis M, Voon V (2015), “Reflection impulsivity in binge drinking: behavioural and volumetric correlates” Addiction Biology 21(2): 504-15 Banca P, Morris LS, Mitchell S, Harrison NA, Potenza MN, Voon V (2015), “Novelty, conditioning and attentional bias to sexual rewards” J Psychiatr Res 72:91-101 Banca P, Sousa T, Catarina Duarte I, Castelo-Branco M (2015), “Visual motion imagery neurofeedback based on the hMT+/V5 complex: evidence for a feedback-specific neural circuit involving neocortical and cerebellar regions” J Neural Eng 12(6):066003 2014Mechelmans DJ, Irvine M, Banca P, Porter L, Mitchell S, Mole TB, Lapa TR, Harrison NA, Potenza MN, Voon V (2014), “Enhanced attentional bias towards sexually explicit cues in individuals with and without compulsive sexual behaviours.” PLoS One 9(8):e105476 Vidal AC, Banca P, Pascoal AG, Cordeiro G, Sargento-Freitas J, Castelo-Branco M (2014), “Modulation of cortical interhemispheric interactions by motor facilitation or restraint” Neural Plast Voon V, Mole TB, Banca P, Porter L, Morris L, Mitchell S, Lapa TR, Karr J, Harrison NA, Potenza MN, Irvine M. (2014), “Neural correlates of sexual cue reactivity in individuals with and without compulsive sexual behaviours” PLoS One 9(7):e102419 2013Howell NA, Worbe Y, Lange I, Tait R, Irvine M, Banca P, Harrison NA, Bullmore ET, Hutchison WD, Voon V. (2013), “Increased ventral striatal volume in college-aged binge drinkers” PLoS One 8(9):e74164 |