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- Cardiac cycle modulates alpha and beta suppression during motor imagery Lai, Giuseppe; Landi, David; Vidaurre, Carmen; Bhattacharya, Joydeep and Herrojo Ruiz, Maria. 2024. Cardiac cycle modulates alpha and beta suppression during motor imagery. Cerebral Cortex, 34(11), bhae442. ISSN 1047-3211
- Evaluating the Influence of Musical and Monetary Rewards on Decision Making through Computational Modelling Kopytin, Grigory; Ivanova, Marina; Herrojo Ruiz, Maria and Shestakova, Anna. 2024. Evaluating the Influence of Musical and Monetary Rewards on Decision Making through Computational Modelling. Behavioral Sciences, 14(2), 124. ISSN 2076-328X
- Action-sequence learning, habits and automaticity in obsessive-compulsive disorder Banca, Paula; Herrojo Ruiz, Maria; Gonzalez-Zalba, Miguel Fernando; Biria, Marjan; Marzuki, Aleya A.; Piercy, Thomas; Sule, Akeem; Fineberg, Naomi Anne and Robbins, Trevor William. 2023. Action-sequence learning, habits and automaticity in obsessive-compulsive disorder. eLife, 12, RP87346. ISSN 2050-084X
- Anterior cingulate and medial prefrontal cortex oscillations underlie learning alterations in trait anxiety in humans Hein, Thomas P.; Gong, Zheng; Ivanova, Marina; Fedele, Tommaso; Nikulin, Vadim and Herrojo Ruiz, Maria. 2023. Anterior cingulate and medial prefrontal cortex oscillations underlie learning alterations in trait anxiety in humans. Communications Biology, 6, 271. ISSN 2399-3642
- Modulation of Motor Vigor by Expectation of Reward Probability Trial-by-Trial Is Preserved in Healthy Ageing and Parkinson's Disease Patients Tecilla, Margherita; Michael, Grossbach; Gentile, Giovanni; Holland, Peter; Antonini, Angelo and Herrojo Ruiz, Maria. 2023. Modulation of Motor Vigor by Expectation of Reward Probability Trial-by-Trial Is Preserved in Healthy Ageing and Parkinson's Disease Patients. The Journal of Neuroscience, 43(10), pp. 1757-1777. ISSN 1529-2401
- Identification of spatial patterns with maximum association between power of resting state neural oscillations and trait anxiety Vidaurre, Carmen; Nikulin, Vadim V. and Herrojo Ruiz, Maria. 2023. Identification of spatial patterns with maximum association between power of resting state neural oscillations and trait anxiety. Neural Computing and Applications, 35(8), pp. 5737-5749. ISSN 0941-0643
- Action Selection and Motor Decision Making: Insights from Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Tecilla, Margherita; Guerra, Andrea; Rocchi, Lorenzo; Määttä, Sara; Bologna, Matteo; Herrojo Ruiz, Maria; Biundo, Roberta; Antonini, Angelo and Ferreri, Florinda. 2022. Action Selection and Motor Decision Making: Insights from Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation. Brain Sciences, 12(5), 639. ISSN 2076-3425
- Introspection confidence predicts EEG decoding of self-generated thoughts and meta-awareness Polychroni, Naya; Herrojo Ruiz, Maria and Terhune, Devin Blair. 2022. Introspection confidence predicts EEG decoding of self-generated thoughts and meta-awareness. Human Brain Mapping, 43(7), pp. 2311-2327. ISSN 1065-9471
- State anxiety alters the neural oscillatory correlates of predictions and prediction errors during reward-based learning Hein, Thomas and Herrojo Ruiz, Maria. 2022. State anxiety alters the neural oscillatory correlates of predictions and prediction errors during reward-based learning. Neuroimage, 249, 118895. ISSN 1053-8119
- Multivariate patterns and long-range temporal correlations of alpha oscillations are associated with flexible manipulation of visual working memory representations Golemme, Mara; Tatti, Elisa; Di Bernardi Luft, Caroline; Bhattacharya, Joydeep; Herrojo Ruiz, Maria and Cappelletti, Marinella. 2021. Multivariate patterns and long-range temporal correlations of alpha oscillations are associated with flexible manipulation of visual working memory representations. European Journal of Neuroscience, 54(9), pp. 7260-7273. ISSN 0953-816X
- Modulation of neural activity in frontopolar cortex drives reward-based motor learning Herrojo Ruiz, Maria; Maudrich, Thomas; Kalloch, Benjamin; Sammler, Daniela; Kenville, Rouven; Villringer, Arno; Sehm, Bernhard and Nikulin, Vadim V.. 2021. Modulation of neural activity in frontopolar cortex drives reward-based motor learning. Scientific Reports, 11, 20303. ISSN 2045-2322
- Resting-State Theta Oscillations and Reward Sensitivity in Risk Taking Azanova, Maria; Herrojo Ruiz, Maria; Belianin, Alexis V.; Klucharev, Vasily and Nikulin, Vadim V.. 2021. Resting-State Theta Oscillations and Reward Sensitivity in Risk Taking. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 15, 608699. ISSN 1662-4548
- Characterizing the middle-age neurophysiology using EEG/MEG Gula, Justyna; Herrojo Ruiz, Maria and Cappelletti, Marinella. 2021. Characterizing the middle-age neurophysiology using EEG/MEG. Neurobiology of Aging, ISSN 0197-4580
- State anxiety biases estimates of uncertainty and impairs reward learning in volatile environments Hein, Thomas; De Fockert, J. W. and Herrojo Ruiz, Maria. 2021. State anxiety biases estimates of uncertainty and impairs reward learning in volatile environments. NeuroImage, 224, 117424. ISSN 1053-8119
- Alterations in the amplitude and burst rate of beta oscillations impair reward-dependent motor learning in anxiety Sporn, Sebastian; Hein, Thomas and Herrojo Ruiz, Maria. 2020. Alterations in the amplitude and burst rate of beta oscillations impair reward-dependent motor learning in anxiety. eLife, 9, e50654. ISSN 2050-084X
- Beta Oscillations in Working Memory, Executive Control of Movement and Thought, and Sensorimotor Function Schmidt, Robert; Herrojo Ruiz, Maria; Kilavik, Bjorg; Lundqvist, Mikael; Starr, Philip and Aron, Adam R. 2019. Beta Oscillations in Working Memory, Executive Control of Movement and Thought, and Sensorimotor Function. Journal of Neuroscience, 39(42), pp. 8231-8238. ISSN 0270-6474
- Cardiac afferent activity modulates early neural signature of error detection during skilled performance Bury, Gabriela; García Huesca, Marta; Bhattacharya, Joydeep and Herrojo Ruiz, Maria. 2019. Cardiac afferent activity modulates early neural signature of error detection during skilled performance. NeuroImage, 199, pp. 704-717. ISSN 1053-8119
- Disruption of Boundary Encoding During Sensorimotor Sequence Learning: An MEG Study study Michail, Georgios; Nikulin, Vadim; Curio, Gabriel; Maess, Burkhard and Herrojo Ruiz, Maria. 2018. Disruption of Boundary Encoding During Sensorimotor Sequence Learning: An MEG Study study. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 12(240), ISSN 1662-5161
- Cingulate and cerebellar beta oscillations are engaged in the acquisition of auditory‐motor sequences Herrojo Ruiz, Maria; Maess, Burkhard; Altenmüller, Eckart; Curio, Gabriel and Nikulin, Vadim. 2017. Cingulate and cerebellar beta oscillations are engaged in the acquisition of auditory‐motor sequences. Human Brain Mapping, 38(10), pp. 5161-5179. ISSN 1065-9471
- Reply: Oscillatory coupling of the subthalamic nucleus in obsessive compulsive disorder Accolla, Ettore A; Horn, Andreas; Herrojo Ruiz, Maria; Neumann, Wolf-Julian and Kühn, Andrea A.. 2017. Reply: Oscillatory coupling of the subthalamic nucleus in obsessive compulsive disorder. Brain: A Journal of Neurology, 140(9), e57. ISSN 0006-8950
- Brain networks modulated by subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation Accolla, Ettore A; Herrojo Ruiz, Maria; Horn, Andreas; Schneider, Gerd-Helge; Schmitz-Hübsch, Tanja; Draganski, Bogdan and Kühn, Andrea A. 2016. Brain networks modulated by subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation. Brain: A Journal of Neurology, 139(9), pp. 2503-2515. ISSN 0006-8950
- Sensory feedback – Dependent neural de-orchestration: The effect of altered sensory feedback on Musician’s Dystonia Cheng, F.P.-H.; Eddy, M.-L.; Herrojo Ruiz, Maria; Großbach, M. and Altenmüller, E.O.. 2015. Sensory feedback – Dependent neural de-orchestration: The effect of altered sensory feedback on Musician’s Dystonia. Cerebral Cortex, 34(1), pp. 55-65. ISSN 1047-3211
- Long-range correlation properties in timing of skilled piano performance: the influence of auditory feedback and deep brain stimulation Herrojo Ruiz, Maria; Hong, Sang Bin; Hennig, Holger; Altenmüller, Eckart and Kühn, Andrea A.. 2014. Long-range correlation properties in timing of skilled piano performance: the influence of auditory feedback and deep brain stimulation. Frontiers in Psychology, 5, 1030.
- Involvement of Human Internal Globus Pallidus in the Early Modulation of Cortical Error-Related Activity Herrojo Ruiz, Maria; Huebl, J.; Schonecker, T.; Kupsch, A.; Yarrow, K.; Krauss, J. K.; Schneider, G.-H. and Kuhn, A. A.. 2014. Involvement of Human Internal Globus Pallidus in the Early Modulation of Cortical Error-Related Activity. Cerebral Cortex, 24(6), pp. 1502-1517. ISSN 1047-3211
- Encoding of sequence boundaries in the subthalamic nucleus of patients with Parkinson's disease Herrojo Ruiz, Maria; Rusconi, M.; Brucke, C.; Haynes, J.-D.; Schonecker, T. and Kuhn, A. A.. 2014. Encoding of sequence boundaries in the subthalamic nucleus of patients with Parkinson's disease. Brain, 137(10), pp. 2715-2730. ISSN 0006-8950
- Error signals in the subthalamic nucleus are related to post-error slowing in patients with Parkinson's disease Siegert, Sandy; Herrojo Ruiz, Maria; Brücke, Christof; Huebl, Julius; Schneider, Gerd-Helge; Ullsperger, Markus and Kühn, Andrea A.. 2014. Error signals in the subthalamic nucleus are related to post-error slowing in patients with Parkinson's disease. Cortex, 60, pp. 103-120. ISSN 0010-9452
- Beta-band amplitude oscillations in the human internal globus pallidus support the encoding of sequence boundaries during initial sensorimotor sequence learning Herrojo Ruiz, Maria; Brücke, Christof; Nikulin, Vadim V.; Schneider, Gerd-Helge and Kühn, Andrea A.. 2014. Beta-band amplitude oscillations in the human internal globus pallidus support the encoding of sequence boundaries during initial sensorimotor sequence learning. NeuroImage, 85, pp. 779-793. ISSN 1053-8119
- Enhanced low-frequency oscillatory activity of the subthalamic nucleus in a patient with dystonia Neumann, Wolf-Julian; Huebl, Julius; Brücke, Christof; Herrojo Ruiz, Maria; Kupsch, Andreas; Schneider, Gerd-Helge and Kühn, Andrea A.. 2012. Enhanced low-frequency oscillatory activity of the subthalamic nucleus in a patient with dystonia. Movement Disorders, 27(8), pp. 1063-1066. ISSN 0885-3185
- Error monitoring is altered in musician's dystonia: evidence from ERP-based studies Strübing, Felix; Herrojo Ruiz, Maria; Jabusch, Hans Christian and Altenmüller, Eckart. 2012. Error monitoring is altered in musician's dystonia: evidence from ERP-based studies. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1252(1), pp. 192-199.
- EEG oscillatory patterns are associated with error prediction during music performance and are altered in musician's dystonia Herrojo Ruiz, Maria; Strübing, Felix; Jabusch, Hans-Christian and Altenmüller, Eckart. 2010. EEG oscillatory patterns are associated with error prediction during music performance and are altered in musician's dystonia. NeuroImage, 55(4), pp. 1791-1803.
- Unsupervised statistical learning underpins computational, behavioural, and neural manifestations of musical expectation Pearce, Marcus T.; Herrojo Ruiz, Maria; Kapasi, Selina; Wiggins, Geraint and Bhattacharya, Joydeep. 2010. Unsupervised statistical learning underpins computational, behavioural, and neural manifestations of musical expectation. NeuroImage, 50(1), pp. 302-313. ISSN 1053-8119
- Decrease in early right alpha band phase synchronization and late gamma band oscillations in processing syntax in music Herrojo Ruiz, Maria; Koelsch, Stefan and Bhattacharya, Joydeep. 2009. Decrease in early right alpha band phase synchronization and late gamma band oscillations in processing syntax in music. Human Brain Mapping, 30(4), pp. 1207-1225. ISSN 1097-0193
- Detecting Wrong Notes in Advance: Neuronal Correlates of Error Monitoring in Pianists Herrojo Ruiz, Maria; Jabusch, H.-C. and Altenmuller, E.. 2009. Detecting Wrong Notes in Advance: Neuronal Correlates of Error Monitoring in Pianists. Cerebral Cortex, 19(11), pp. 2625-2639. ISSN 1047-3211
- Defective inhibition and inter-regional phase synchronization in pianists with musician's dystonia: An EEG study Herrojo Ruiz, Maria; Senghaas, Patricia; Grossbach, Michael; Jabusch, Hans-Christian; Bangert, Marc; Hummel, Friedhelm; Gerloff, Christian and Altenmüller, Eckart. 2009. Defective inhibition and inter-regional phase synchronization in pianists with musician's dystonia: An EEG study. Human Brain Mapping, 30(8), pp. 2689-2700. ISSN 1065-9471
Dr Maria Herrojo Ruiz
Staff details
Links
Goldsmiths Research Centres/Groups
María is interested in computational approaches to motor learning and decision making.
María is a Reader at the Department of Psychology, where she also co-directs the MSc in Computational Cognitive Neuroscience.
Her research examines the neural processes underlying motor learning and decision-making, employing advanced methodological and computational techniques. Bridging her background in Theoretical Physics with a PhD in Neuroscience, she investigates decision-making and motor learning in both mental health and neurological conditions. Her long-standing research in the neuroscience of musical performance has evolved to focus on performance anxiety, where she now applies computational psychiatry methods to gain deeper insights into this phenomenon. She has received various awards, including the Susanne Klein-Vogelbach Prize for research in human movement (2014). María is also dedicated to public engagement, contributing to a variety of international media, including regular radio collaborations with Spanish RTVE.es, BBC Radio 3 & 4 and the Conversation.
Academic qualifications
- Doctorate (Dr. rer. nat, PhD) in Neuroscience, Centre for Systems Neuroscience. Hanover (Germany) 2009
- Advanced Studies Diploma (MPhil.) in Physics of Complex Systems, Department of Fundamental Physics, Faculty of Science, UNED. Madrid (Spain) 2005
- MSc. degree in Physics (Theoretical Physics), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid. Madrid (Spain). 2001
Teaching and supervision
Research interests
María's main themes of research relate to the areas of motor, clinical and computational cognitive neuroscience. She is a member of our Cognition and Neuroscience Group and our Science of the Creative and Performing Arts Group.
Key areas of interest are listed below.
Additional details can be found at http://maria-herrojoruiz.net/
Motor Learning
Music Performance
Anxiety
Computational Modelling
Decision Making
Movement Disorders
Psychiatric conditions
Featured publications
Grants and awards
Publications and research outputs
Article
- Setting the Stage: Using Virtual Reality to Assess the Effects of Music Performance Anxiety in Pianists ThompSon, Nicalia; Pan, Xueni and Herrojo Ruiz, Maria. 2025. Setting the Stage: Using Virtual Reality to Assess the Effects of Music Performance Anxiety in Pianists. IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics, 31(5), 2504 -2514. ISSN 1077-2626
- Performance anxiety is associated with biases in learning from reward and punishment in skilled individuals Erazo Hidalgo, Andrea; Pearson, Lisa; Oku, Takanori; Kimoto, Yudai; Furuya, Shinichi and Herrojo Ruiz, Maria. 2025. Performance anxiety is associated with biases in learning from reward and punishment in skilled individuals. bioRxiv,
- Frequency-specific changes in prefrontal activity associated with maladaptive belief updating in volatile environments in euthymic bipolar disorder Ivanova, Marina; Germanova, Ksenia; Petelin, Dmitry S.; Ragimova, Aynur; Kopytin, Grigory; Volel, Beatrice A.; Nikulin, Vadim V. and Herrojo Ruiz, Maria. 2025. Frequency-specific changes in prefrontal activity associated with maladaptive belief updating in volatile environments in euthymic bipolar disorder. Translational Psychiatry, 15, 13. ISSN 2158-3188
Conference or Workshop Item
- Optimized alpha band patterns correlated with trait anxiety Vidaurre, Carmen; Nikulin, Vadim and Herrojo Ruiz, Maria. 2021. 'Optimized alpha band patterns correlated with trait anxiety'. In: 2021 IEEE 34th International Symposium on Computer-Based Medical Systems (CBMS). Aveiro, Portugal 7-9 June 2021.
Professional projects
María received funding from the Ernst Schering Stiftung and the Werner Reichardt Centre for Integrative Neuroscience in Tübingen, Germany, to co-organise with Prof. Boris Kleber the “International Symposium on Music performance: Art and Neuroscience in Dialogue” in April 2016 in Tübingen, which involved international musicians, academics and members of the general public. Together with Dr. Anna Sadnicka and Dr. Katja Kornisheva, María received funding from Guarantors of Brain to host a symposium for the general public in 2023 on "Public Understanding of Neurology".
Media engagements
2019:
BBC Radio 3 - David Baddiel is on a quest to like classical music
Interview with David Baddiel on neuroscience and music
2019:
What happens to our brains when we hear music we hate?
Join David Baddiel and friends on a journey though history, music and emotion by searching BBC Sounds for "My Trouble with Classical Music"
2018:
Spanish Radio and Television Corporation (RTVE) - Longitud de Onda
Monthly collaboration 2016-2019 to talk about music and neuroscience
2017:
The Anthill - The Conversation
Podcast on music and Parkinson's Disease
