Neurocognitive Development & Mental Health Research Lab
Department of Cognitive Neuroscience
Maastricht University
Principal Investigator: Franc Donkers, PhD
We combine experimental neuroscience with clinical research to examine how core systems such as sensory responsivity, memory, and cognitive control interact over time to influence adaptive and maladaptive health outcomes.
Using non-invasive neuroimaging, primarily Electroencephalography (EEG) in combination with behavioral paradigms, and validated clinical and self-report measures, we capture the fine-grained temporal dynamics of neural information processing.
A central aim is to move beyond symptom-based classification toward transdiagnostic, dimensional models of mental health.
Our Research Themes
Sensory Processing Dynamics
Examining how individual differences in sensory sensitivity and information processing shape neurodevelopmental pathways and confer vulnerability or resilience.
Neurobiological Markers of Vulnerability
Identifying and validating objective neurocognitive indicators for early detection and biologically informed characterization of mental health risk.
Mechanistic Modeling
Developing integrative and computational frameworks linking sensory and cognitive processes to symptom dimensions and broader mental health outcomes.
Latest
June 2026
New publication
“The Joy and the Pain of Being Alone: Managing the Solitude-Loneliness (SOLO) Paradox in People High on the Autism Spectrum” published in Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review. DOI
May 2026
Citation milestone
Donkers & van Boxtel (2004), “The N2 in go/no-go tasks reflects conflict monitoring not response inhibition” (Brain and Cognition), has surpassed 1,000 citations on Google Scholar. 🎓 DOI
March 2026
New publication
“The Boredom-ADHD Nexus: A Narrative and Meta-Analytic Review of the Evidence” published in Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review. DOI
December 2025
New publication
“Autism and Hikikomori Risk: A Link Beyond Other Psychopathologies, and Their Relationship to Loneliness and Solitude” published in Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. DOI
June 2025
New publication
“Caught in the Web of the Net? Part II: A Motivation-Based Developmental Psychopathology Model for the Aberrant Internet Use in (Young) People with Autism Spectrum Disorder” published in Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review. DOI