Contact

• workRoom C21 Institute of Mental Health, University of Nottingham
  Innovation Park
  Triumph Road
  Nottingham
  NG7 2TU
  UK
• work0115 823 0428
• elena.nixon@nottingham.ac.uk

Expertise Summary

Keywords:

EEG, neuroimaging, cognitive and affective neuroscience, executive function, Mood Disorder, Tourette's Disorder

Teaching Summary

I provide teaching support for the:

• Behavioural Sciences (A11BHS) module, BMedSci course
• Functional and Behavioural Neuroscience (A12FBN) module, BMedSci course
• MSc in Mental Health Research course: Module Convenor of 'Models and Approaches in Mental Health Research' (C84MOD); and 'Topics in Cognitive Neuropsychiatry' (C84TCN)
• Cognitive Neuroscience of Neuropsychiatric Disorders (A13CNN), Module Convenor, BMedSci course
• Psychological Research in Context (C84PRC); and Research Internship (C84INT), Module Co-Convenor

Other:

• Supervision of Year 3 homebase project students (BMedSci)
• Supervision of postgraduate students (MSc, PhD and postgraduate Foundation trainees)

Research Summary

My broad research interests include the study of:

• psychological processes and neural substrates of executive function mechanisms in health and psychopathology
• the interaction between emotional/motivational factors (e.g. mood, anxiety) and cognitive function in healthy and clinical states
• the impact of psychosocial, motivational and physical factors on executive function and clinical symptomatology

My current focus is on:

• the development of cognitive (e.g. Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy) and behavioural (e.g. Exercise-based programs) interventions to improve executive function, clinical symptomatology and psychological well-being
• the investigation of brain mechanisms and neural changes associated with changes in executive function and clinical symptomatology

Methods of investigation: behavioural/neurocognitive assessment, mood induction, observations, EEG/ERP, fMRI

Main areas of clinical research: Mood Disorders (e.g. Major Depressive Disorder), Neurodevelopmental Disorders (e.g. Tourette's)

Recent Publications

• NIXON, N.L., LIDDLE, P.F., NIXON, E., WORWOOD, G., LIOTTI, M. and PALANIYAPPAN, L., 2014. Biological vulnerability to depression: linked structural and functional brain network findings The British Journal of Psychiatry. 204, 283-289
• NIXON, E., GLAZEBROOK, C., HOLLIS, C. and JACKSON, G.M., 2014. Reduced tic symptomatology in Tourette Syndrome after an acute bout of exercise: An observational study Behavior Modification. (ahead of print)
• NIXON, N.L., LIDDLE, P.F., WORWOOD, G., LIOTTI, M. and NIXON, E., 2013. Prefrontal cortex function in remitted major depressive disorder Psychological Medicine. 43(6), 1219-1230
• NIXON, E., LIDDLE, P.F., NIXON, N.L. and LIOTTI, M., 2013. On the interaction between sad mood and cognitive control: The effect of induced sadness on electrophysiological modulations underlying Stroop conflict processing International Journal of Psychophysiology. 87(3), 313-326

• View all publications

• NIXON, N.L., LIDDLE, P.F., NIXON, E., WORWOOD, G., LIOTTI, M. and PALANIYAPPAN, L., 2014. Biological vulnerability to depression: linked structural and functional brain network findings The British Journal of Psychiatry. 204, 283-289
• NIXON, E., GLAZEBROOK, C., HOLLIS, C. and JACKSON, G.M., 2014. Reduced tic symptomatology in Tourette Syndrome after an acute bout of exercise: An observational study Behavior Modification. (ahead of print)
• NIXON, N.L., LIDDLE, P.F., WORWOOD, G., LIOTTI, M. and NIXON, E., 2013. Prefrontal cortex function in remitted major depressive disorder Psychological Medicine. 43(6), 1219-1230
• NIXON, E., LIDDLE, P.F., NIXON, N.L. and LIOTTI, M., 2013. On the interaction between sad mood and cognitive control: The effect of induced sadness on electrophysiological modulations underlying Stroop conflict processing International Journal of Psychophysiology. 87(3), 313-326
• ASTLE, D.E., NIXON, E., JACKSON, S.R. and JACKSON, G.M., 2012. Neural correlates of changing intention in the human FEF and IPS Journal of Neurophysiology. 107(3), 859-867
• GEORGIADI, E., LIOTTI, M., NIXON, N.L. and LIDDLE, P.F., 2011. Electrophysiological evidence for abnormal error monitoring in recurrent major depressive disorder Psychophysiology. 48(9), 1192-1202