We are proponents of Open Science.

Our ongoing projects are public and can be found on the Open Science Framework, GitLab, and ORBi

Doctoral dissertations

BOULAKIS Paradeisios Alexandros "Where was my mind? Neurophysiological correlates of mind blanking" (19 March 2025)

MORTAHEB Sepehr "Resting Brain and Mind, How brain dynamics are associated with ongoing cognition" (20 April 2023)

JILLINGS Steven (co-tutel UAntwerp, BELSPO-Prodex). "The impact of long-duration spaceflight on brain structure and function" (14 Jan 2021)

Master's Theses

  • 2025 VERWAERDE Kadirey “Clarifying the Neuronal and Neurovascular Properties of the fMRI Global Signal Amplitude During Mind-Blanking Reports”.
  • 2025 STRIZHNEVA Varvara (co-PI: Christophe Phillips) “Clarifying the Neuronal and Neurovascular Properties of the fMRI Global Signal Amplitude During Mind-Blanking Reports”.
  • 2023 NGUY Kevin “Mechanisms of interoceptive-exteroceptive integration during cardio-audio synchrony”.
  • 2021, Kilian ELFERT, "Identifying the (neuro-)physiological correlates of auditorily-induced metaphorical vection".
  • 2021, Aurèle ROBERT DE BEAUCHAMP, "Assessing the prevalence of mind-blanking and its relation to attentional resources in typical aging population". 
  • 2021, Ludovic HART (l'HELMo Sainte-Julienne, Liège) "Identifying the behavioural, physiological, and neurobiological correlates of auditorily-induced metaphorical vection". 
  • 2020 Paradeisios-Alexandros BOULAKIS "Real-time cardiac biofeedback differentially modulates bodily self-consciousness judgments". Awarded with the UMaastricht Student Prize for the Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience. Nominated for the Dutch Jan Brouwers Thesis Award. 
  • 2019 Clément DELCAMP: "Physiological and neurobiological determination of voluntary and reflex responses after vestibular stimulation in healthy subjects by caloric irrigation".

Preprints

Distinct cortical profiles underlie the common reportability of thought-free experiences. Boulakis PA, Kusztor A, Tsuchiya N, Andrillon T,  Demertzi A. bioRxiv (2025)

Cardiac responses to auditory irregularities reveal hierarchical information processing during sleep. Koroma M, Boulakis PA, Raimondo F, Gialama V, Blume C, Strauss M, Demertzi A. bioRxiv (2024)

Elsewhere or Blanked? Ongoing mental states are regulated by pupil-linked arousal and attentional style in healthy ageing. Koroma M., Robert de Beauchamp A., Mortaheb S., Boulakis P. A.,  Bastin C., Demertzi A. bioRχiv (2022) gitlab | OSF | ORBi

Published papers

Experimental works - Typical populations 

Variations of autonomic arousal mediate the reportability of mind-blanking occurrences (Registered Report). Boulakis PA, Simos NJ, Zoi S, Mortaheb S, Schmidt C, Raimondo* F., & Demertzi* A. Scientific Reports, 15, 4956 (2025). ORBi | Code | Data (BIDS)

Dynamic functional hyperconnectivity after psilocybin intake is primarily associated with oceanic boundlessness. Mortaheb* S, Fort* LD, Mason ML, Mallaroni P,  Ramaekers* JG & Demertzi* A. Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging, 9(7), 681-692 (2024). ORBi

Probing the embodiment of sleep functions: Insights from cardiac responses to word-induced relaxation during sleep. Koroma M., Beck J., Schmidt C., Rasch B, Demertzi A. Journal of Sleep Research, 33 (5), e14160 (2024). ORBi

Whole-brain deactivations precede uninduced mind-blanking reports. Boulakis P. A., Mortaheb S., Van Claster L., Majerus S., Demertzi A. Journal of Neuroscience, 43 (40) 6807-6815 (2023). ORBi

Prolonged microgravity induces reversible and persistent changes on human cerebral connectivity. Jillings S, Pechenkova E, Tomilovskaya E, Rukavishnikov I, Jeurissen B, Van Ombergen A, Nosikova I, Rumshiskaya A, Litvinova L, Annen J, De Laet C, Schoenmaekers C, Sijbers J, Petrovichev V, Sunaert S, Parizel PM, Sinitsyn V, zu Eulenburg P, Laureys S, Demertzi* A, Wuyts*, FL. Communications Biology, 6:46 (2023).

Mind blanking is a distinct mental state linked to a recurrent brain profile of globally positive connectivity during ongoing mentation. Mortaheb S,  Van Calster L, Raimondo F, Klados MA, Boulakis PA, Georgoula K, Majerus S, Van De Ville D, Demertzi A. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 119 (41), p. 2200511119 (2022). Dataset openly available.

Intrinsic functional connectivity reduces after first-time exposure to short-term gravitational alterations induced by parabolic flight. Van Ombergen, A., Wuyts, F. L., Jeurissen, B., Sijbers, J., Vanhevel, F., Jillings, S., Parizel, P. M., Sunaert, S., Van de Heyning, P. H., Dousset, V., Laureys, S., Demertzi, A. Scientific Reports, 7(3061), 1–10 (2017).

Cortical reorganization in an astronaut ’ s brain after long-duration spaceflight. Demertzi, A., Ombergen, A. Van, Tomilovskaya, E., Amico, E., Rumshiskaya, A., Rukavishnikov, I., Sijbers, J.,  Heyning, P. H.,  Laureys, S., Wuyts, F. L. Brain Structure and Function, 221(5), 2873–2876 (2015).

Hypnosis modulates behavioural measures and subjective ratings about external and internal awareness. Demertzi, A., Vanhaudenhuyse, A., Noirhomme, Q., Faymonville, M.-E., & Laureys, S. Journal of Physiology-Paris, 109(4), 173–179 (2015). 

Resting state networks and consciousness: Alterations of multiple resting state network connectivity in physiological, pharmacological, and pathological consciousness states. Heine, L., Soddu, A., Gómez, F., Vanhaudenhuyse, A., Tshibanda, L., Thonnard, M., Charland-verville, V., Kirsch, M., Laureys, S., Demertzi, A. Frontiers in Psychology, 3, 1–12 (2012). 

Hypnotic modulation of resting state fMRI default mode and extrinsic network connectivity. Demertzi, A., Soddu, A., Faymonville, M., Bahri, M. A., Gosseries, O., Vanhaudenhuyse, A., Phillips, C.,  Maquet, P.,  Noirhomme, Q., Luxen, A., Laureys, S. Progress in Brain Research, 193, 309–322 (2011). 

Two distinct neuronal networks mediate the awareness of environment and of self. Vanhaudenhuyse, A*., Demertzi, A*., Schabus, M., Noirhomme, Q., Bredart, S., Boly, M., Phillips, C., Soddu, A., Luxen, A., Moonen, G., Laureys, S. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 23(3), 570–578 (2011). 

 

Opinions, Syntheses, Surveys, Book Chapters

Spontaneous thoughts and experiences across wakefulness and sleep. Boulakis PA, Demertzi A, Sitt JD, Andrillon T. The Scientific Study of Consciousness: Experimental and Theoretical Approaches (Springer-Nature), Umberto Olcese & Lucia Melloni (Eds) (in press). 

Where is my Mind? A Neurocognitive Investigation of Mind Blanking. Andrillon T, Lutz A, Windt J, Demertzi A. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 29(7) 600-613 (2025). ORBi

Classification schemes of altered states of consciousness. Fort LD, Costines C, Wittmann M, Demertzi* A & Torsen Schmidt* T. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, 175: 106178 (2025). ORBi

Relating mind blanking to the content and dynamics of spontaneous thinking. Boulakis PA, Demertzi A. Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences, 61 (101481) (2025). ORBi

Unravelling consciousness and brain function through the lens of time, space, and information. Luppi A, Rosas FE, Mediano PAM, Demertzi A, Menon DK, Stamatakis EA.Trends in Neurosciences, 47(7), 551-568 (2024). ORBi

Functional network antagonism and consciousness. Demertzi, A., Kucyi, A., Ponce-Alvarez, A., Keliris, G.A., Whitfield-Gabrieli, S., Deco, G. Network Neuroscience, 6(4), 998-1009 (2022). ORBi

Attitudes towards personhood in the Locked-in Syndrome: from third- to first-person perspective and to interpersonal significance. Nizzi, M.-C., Blandin, V., & Demertzi, A. Neuroethics, 1–9 (2018). 

Measuring states of pathological (un)consciousness: research dimensions, clinical applications and ethics. Demertzi, A., Sitt, J. D., Sarasso, S., & Pinxten, W. Neuroscience Consciousness, 3(1), 1–13 (2017).

 A European survey on attitudes towards pain and end-of-life issues in locked-in syndrome. Demertzi, A., Jox, R. J., Racine, E., & Laureys, S. Brain Injury, 28(9), 1209–1215 (2014).

Consciousness supporting networks.  Demertzi, A., Soddu, A., & Laureys, S. Current Opinion in Neurobiology, 23, 239–244 (2013).

Looking for the self in pathological unconsciousness. Demertzi, A., Vanhaudenhuyse, A., Bredart, S., Heine, L., Perri, C. Di, Laureys, S., Brédart, S., di Perri, C. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 7, 1–6 (2013).  

Pain perception in disorders of consciousness: neuroscience, clinical care, and ethics in dialogue. Demertzi, A., Racine, E., Bruno, A., Ledoux, D., Gosseries, O., Vanhaudenhuyse, A., Thonnard, M., Soddu, A., Moonen, G., Laureys, S. Neuroethics, 6(1), 37–50 (2013). 

Attitudes towards end-of-life issues in disorders of consciousness: a European survey. Demertzi, A., Ledoux, D., Bruno, M.-A., Vanhaudenhuyse, A., Gosseries, O., Soddu, A., Schnakers, C., Moonen, G.,  Laureys, S. Journal of Neurology, 258(6), 1058–1065 (2011). 

Dualism persists in the science of mind. Demertzi, A., Liew, C., Ledoux, D., Bruno, M. A., Sharpe, M., Laureys, S., & Zeman, A. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1157, 1–9 (2009).

 

Experimental works - Clinical populations 

Human consciousness is supported by dynamic complex patterns of brain signal coordination.   Demertzi, A*., Tagliazucchi, E*., Dehaene, S., Deco, G., Barttfeld, P., Raimondo, F., Martial, C., Fernández-Espejo, D., Rohaut, B., Voss, H. U., Schiff, N. D., Owen, A. M., Laureys, S., Naccache, L., Sitt, J. D. Science Advances, 5(2), eaat7603 (2019). 

Complete hemispherotomy leads to lateralized functional organization and lower level of consciousness in the isolated hemisphere. Blauwblomme*, T., Demertzi* , A., Tacchela, J.-M., Fillon, L., Bourgeois, M., Lositto, E., Eisermann, M., Marinazzo, D.,  Raimondo, Federico, F.,  Alcauter, S., Van De Steen, F., Colenbier, N., Laureys, S., Dangouloff-Ros, V., Naccache, L., Boddaert, N., Nabbout, R. Epilepsia Open (2020). 

Neural correlates of consciousness in patients who have emerged from a minimally conscious state: a cross-sectional multimodal imaging study. Di Perri, C., Bahri, M. A., Amico, E., Thibaut, A., Heine, L., Antonopoulos, G., Charland-Verville, V.,  Wannez, S.,  Gomez, F., Hustinx, R., Tshibanda, L., Demertzi, A*., Soddu, A*., Laureys, S*. The Lancet Neurology, 15(8), 830–842 (2016). 

Intrinsic functional connectivity differentiates minimally conscious from unresponsive patients. Demertzi, A*., Antonopoulos, G*., Heine, L., Voss, H. U., Crone, J. S., de Los Angeles, C., Bahri, M. A., Di Perri, C.,  Vanhaudenhuyse, A., Charland-Verville, V., Kronbichler, M., Trinka, E., Phillips, C., Gomez, F., Tshibanda, L., Soddu, A., Schiff, N. D., Whitfield-Gabrieli, S., Laureys, S. Brain, 138, 2619–2631 (2015). 

 Multiple fMRI system-level baseline connectivity is disrupted in patients with consciousness alterations. Demertzi, A., Gomez, F., Crone, J. S., Vanhaudenhuyse, A., Tshibanda, L., Noirhomme, Q.,  Thonnard, M., Charland-Verville, V., Kirsch, M., Laureys, S., Soddu, A. Cortex, 52, 35–46 (2014). 

 

Registered Reports and Pre-registrations

Evidencing sentience in low arousal by probing vestibular processing with caloric irrigations (Pre-registration). Boulakis P.A, Koroma M, Chylinski D, Mortaheb S, Kirsch S, Staquet S, Detroz M, Zoi S, Pacolet V, Lefebvre F, Wuyts F, Bonhomme V, Demertzi A. ORBi

Mechanisms of interoceptive-exteroceptive integration during cardio-auditory synchrony (Pre-registration). Koroma M, Nguy K, Pelentritou A, De Lucia M, Demertzi A. ORBi

Regional functional-structural coupling and decoupling can decode ongoing mental states during task-free conditions (Pre-registration). Mortaheb S, Liégeois R, Raimondo F, Boulakis P.A , Fort L.D, Moallemian S, Sharifpour R, Karapanagiotidis T, Van De Ville D, Demertzi A. ORBi

updated on 1/19/26

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