About
My research interests are in the broad areas of attention and inhibition, with a focus on the effects of video gaming.
- BSc Astrophysics and Psychology, Keele University
- PhD Mathematical Physics, Coventry University
Dr Steve Johnston
Honorary Clinical Lecturer (Psychology)
Psychology School
Publications
Research Highlights
-
Martin, J., Whittaker, A., & Johnston, S. (2022). Pupillometry and the vigilance decrement: Task‐evoked but not baseline pupil measures reflect declining performance in visual vigilance tasks. European Journal of Neuroscience, 55(3), 778-799.
-
Hui, S., Mikkelsen, M., Zöllner, H., Ahluwalia, V., Alcauter, S., Baltusis, L., Barany, D., Barlow, L., Becker, R., Berman, J., Berrington, A., Bhattacharyya, P., Blicher, J., Bogner, W., Brown, M., Calhoun, V., Castillo, R., Cecil, K., Choi, Y...., & Edden, R. (2021). Frequency drift in MR spectroscopy at 3T. NeuroImage, 241, 118430
-
Young, H., Cousins, A., Johnston, S., Fletcher, J., Benton, D., Young, H., Cousins, A., & Benton, D. (2019). Autonomic adaptations mediate the effect of hydration on brain functioning and mood: Evidence from two randomized controlled trials. Scientific Reports, 9(1)
-
Weidacker, K., Weidacker, K., Johnston, S., Mullins, P., Boy, F., & Dymond, S. (2020). Impulsive decision-making and gambling severity: The influence of γ-amino-butyric acid (GABA) and glutamate-glutamine (Glx). European Neuropsychopharmacology, 32, 36-46.
-
Bennett, P., Hunter, R., Johnston, S., Jones, D., & Noble, S. (2020). Covid-19: recording their stories provides emotional benefit to healthcare workers. BMJ, 2020(369), m2536
All Research
Journal Articles
-
Chung, Y., White, R., Geier, C., Johnston, S., Smyth, J., Delgado, M., McKee, S., & Wilson, S. (2023). Testing the efficacy of real-time fMRI neurofeedback for training people who smoke daily to upregulate neural responses to nondrug rewards. Cognitive, Affective, & Behavioral Neuroscience, 23
-
Martin, J., Whittaker, A., & Johnston, S. (2022). Pupillometry and the vigilance decrement: Task‐evoked but not baseline pupil measures reflect declining performance in visual vigilance tasks. European Journal of Neuroscience, 55(3), 778-799.
-
Hui, S., Mikkelsen, M., Zöllner, H., Ahluwalia, V., Alcauter, S., Baltusis, L., Barany, D., Barlow, L., Becker, R., Berman, J., Berrington, A., Bhattacharyya, P., Blicher, J., Bogner, W., Brown, M., Calhoun, V., Castillo, R., Cecil, K., Choi, Y...., & Edden, R. (2021). Frequency drift in MR spectroscopy at 3T. NeuroImage, 241, 118430
-
Weidacker, K., Johnston, S., Mullins, P., Boy, F., & Dymond, S. (2021). Neurochemistry of response inhibition and interference in gambling disorder: a preliminary study of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA+) and glutamate–glutamine (Glx). CNS Spectrums, 27(4), 1-11.
-
Bennett, P., Noble, S., Johnston, S., Jones, D., & Hunter, R. (2020). COVID-19 confessions: a qualitative exploration of healthcare workers experiences of working with COVID-19. BMJ Open, 10(12), e043949
-
Martin, J., Whittaker, A., & Johnston, S. (2020). Component processes in free-viewing visual search: Insights from fixation-aligned pupillary response averaging. Journal of Vision, 20(7), 5
-
Bennett, P., Hunter, R., Johnston, S., Jones, D., & Noble, S. (2020). Covid-19: recording their stories provides emotional benefit to healthcare workers. BMJ, 2020(369), m2536
-
Weidacker, K., Weidacker, K., Johnston, S., Mullins, P., Boy, F., & Dymond, S. (2020). Impulsive decision-making and gambling severity: The influence of γ-amino-butyric acid (GABA) and glutamate-glutamine (Glx). European Neuropsychopharmacology, 32, 36-46.
-
Young, H., Cousins, A., Johnston, S., Fletcher, J., Benton, D., Young, H., Cousins, A., & Benton, D. (2019). Autonomic adaptations mediate the effect of hydration on brain functioning and mood: Evidence from two randomized controlled trials. Scientific Reports, 9(1)
-
Alhazmi, K., Milton, J., Johnston, S., & Milton, J. (2018). Examining ‘vowel blindness’ among native Arabic speakers reading English words from the perspective of eye-tracking. System, 80, 235-245.
-
Weidacker, K., Snowden, R., Boy, F., & Johnston, S. (2017). Response inhibition in the parametric Go/No-Go task in psychopathic offenders. Psychiatry Research, 250, 256-263.
-
Weidacker, K., O'Farrell, K., Gray, N., Johnston, S., & Snowden, R. (2017). Psychopathy and impulsivity: The relationship of the triarchic model of psychopathy to different forms of impulsivity in offenders and community participants. Personality and Individual Differences, 114, 134-139.
-
Weidacker, K., Whiteford, S., Boy, F., & Johnston, S. (2017). Response Inhibition in the Parametric Go/No-Go Task and Its Relation to Impulsivity and Subclinical Psychopathy. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 70(3), 473-487.
-
Weidacker, K., Weidemann, C., Boy, F., & Johnston, S. (2016). Cathodal tDCS improves task performance in participants high in Coldheartedness. Clinical Neurophysiology, 127(9), 3102-3109.
-
Habes, I., Rushton, S., Johnston, S., Sokunbi, M., Barawi, K., Brosnan, M., Daly, T., Ihssen, N., Linden, D., & Johnston, S. (2016). fMRI neurofeedback of higher visual areas and perceptual biases. Neuropsychologia
-
Emmert, K., Kopel, R., Sulzer, J., Brühl, A., Berman, B., Linden, D., Horovitz, S., Breimhorst, M., Caria, A., Frank, S., Johnston, S., Long, Z., Paret, C., Robineau, F., Veit, R., Bartsch, A., Beckmann, C., Ville, D., & Haller, S. (2016). Meta-analysis of real-time fMRI neurofeedback studies using individual participant data: How is brain regulation mediated?. NeuroImage, 124, 806-812.
-
Leek, E., Yuen, K., & Johnston, S. (2016). Domain General Sequence Operations Contribute to Pre-SMA Involvement in Visuo-spatial Processing. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 10
-
Sokunbi, M., Linden, D., Habes, I., Johnston, S., & Ihssen, N. (2014). Real-time fMRI brain-computer interface: development of a “motivational feedback†subsystem for the regulation of visual cue reactivity. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, 8
-
Kuncheva, L., Martínez-Rego, D., Yuen, K., Linden, D., & Johnston, S. (2014). A spatial discrepancy measure between voxel sets in brain imaging. Signal, Image and Video Processing, 8(5), 913-922.
-
Leek, E., Kerai, J., Johnston, S., Hindle, J., & Bracewell, R. (2014). Impaired Visuospatial Transformation but Intact Sequence Processing in Parkinson Disease. Cognitive And Behavioral Neurology, 27(3), 130-138.
-
Gobet, F., Johnston, S., Ferrufino, G., Johnston, M., Jones, M., Molyneux, A., Terzis, A., & Weeden, L. (2014). "No level up!": no effects of video game specialization and expertise on cognitive performance. Frontiers in Psychology, 5(1337)
-
Johnston, S., Linden, D., & Shapiro, K. (2012). Functional Imaging Reveals Working Memory and Attention Interact to Produce the Attentional Blink. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 24(1), 28-38.
-
Lancaster, T., Baird, A., Wolf, C., Jackson, M., Johnston, S., Donev, R., Thome, J., & Linden, D. (2011). Neural hyperactivation in carriers of the Alzheimer's risk variant on the clusterin gene. European Neuropsychopharmacology, 21(12), 880-884.
-
Johnston, S., Linden, D., Healy, D., Goebel, R., Habes, I., & Boehm, S. (2011). Upregulation of emotion areas through neurofeedback with a focus on positive mood. Cognitive, Affective, & Behavioral Neuroscience, 11(1), 44-51.
-
Subramanian, L., Hindle, J., Johnston, S., Roberts, M., Husain, M., Goebel, R., Linden, D., & Johnston, S. (2011). Real-Time Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Neurofeedback for Treatment of Parkinson's Disease. Journal of Neuroscience, 31(45), 16309-16317.
-
Linden, D., Thornton, K., Kuswanto, C., Johnston, S., Ven, V., Jackson, M., & Johnston, S. (2011). The Brain's Voices: Comparing Nonclinical Auditory Hallucinations and Imagery. Cerebral Cortex, 21(2), 330-337.
Supervision
-
Temporary work name: The interplay of parental attachment and secure base support provision on children’s psychological development, exploration behaviour, and engagement in youth sport contexts (current)
PhDOther supervisor: Dr Olivier RouquetteOther supervisor: Dr Vicky Lovett -
The Effect of Video Game Use on Executive Functions (awarded 2024)
PhDOther supervisor: Dr Kathrin WeidackerOther supervisor: Dr Rob Lowe
Taught Modules
-
PS-M67 Structure and Function of the Brain
This module provides an introduction into basic human functional neuroanatomy. Students will learn about the principles underlying the anatomical organisation and functional segregation of the human brain. Evolutionary and developmental origins of brain structure and function, as well as the relation between brain structure and function will be discussed.
-
PS-M67I Structure and Function of the Brain
This module provides an introduction into basic human functional neuroanatomy. Students will learn about the principles underlying the anatomical organisation and functional segregation of the human brain. Evolutionary and developmental origins of brain structure and function, as well as the relation between brain structure and function will be discussed.
Career History
-
Lecturer, Brunel University, London
2010 - 2012