Publications

Updated by 06.04.2025; IF =impact factor, available at year of publication
  1. Lihua Sun (2025), The endogenous opioid neurotransmission and seasonal affective disorders, Book chapter of “Handbook of the Biology and Pathology of Mental Disorders”, Springer
  2. Lihua Sun, Anne M. Landau, Jing Tang, Anne Roivainen (2025). Dark seasons enhance brain and brown adipose tissue interactions related to mu-opioid receptor signaling, European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging. // IF = 8.6
  3. Lili Järvinen, Severi Santavirta, Vesa Putkinen, Henry K Karlsson, Kerttu Seppälä, Lihua Sun, Matthew Hudson, Jussi Hirvonen, Pirjo Nuutila, Lauri Nummenmaa (2025). Reward responses to vicarious feeding depend on BMI. Cognitive, Affective & Behavioral Neuroscience. // IF = 3.5
  4. Kyoungjune Pak, Jouni Tuisku, Henry Karlsson, Jussi Hirvonen, Eleni Rebelos, Laura Pekkarinen, Lihua Sun, Aino Latva-Rasku, Semi Helin, Johan Rajander, Max Karukivi, Pirjo Nuutila, Lauri Nummenmaa. Anorexia nervosa is associated with higher brain mu-opioid receptor availability (2025). Molecular Psychiatry // IF = 9.6.
  5. Lasse Lukkarinen, Jouni Tuisku, Lihua Sun, Semi Helin, Henry K Karlsson, Niina Venetjoki, Marja Salomaa, Päivi Rautio, Jussi Hirvonen, Hannu Lauerma, Jari Tiihonen, Lauri Nummenmaa (2024), Aberrant type 2 dopamine receptor availability in violent offenders with psychopathy, NeuroImage // IF = 4.7
  6. Lihua Sun, Tuulia Malén, Jouni Tuisku, Valtteri Kaasinen, Jarmo A Hietala, Juha Rinne, Pirjo Nuutila, Lauri Nummenmaa (2024). Seasonal variation in D2/3 dopamine receptor availability in the human brain, European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging. // IF = 9.1
  7. Lihua Sun, Pirjo Nuutila (2023). Hormone induced body-brain interaction and the impact on cognition. European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging. // IF = 9.1
  8. Lihua Sun, Sanna Laurila, Minna Lahesmaa, Eleni Rebelos, Kirsi A Virtanen, Katharina Schnabl, Martin Klingenspor, Lauri Nummenmaa, Pirjo Nuutila (2023). Secretin modulates appetite via brown adipose tissue – brain axis. European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging. // IF = 9.1
  9. Lauri Nummenmaa, Tuulia Malen, Sanaz Nazari-Farsani, Kerttu Seppälä, Lihua Sun, Henry K Karlsson, Matthew Hudson, Jussi Hirvonen, Mikko Sams, Sophia K Scott, Vesa Putkinen (2023). Decoding brain basis of laughter and crying in natural scenes. NeuroImage. // IF = 5.7
  10. Vesa Putkinen, Sanaz Nazari-Farsani, Tomi Karjalainen, Severi Santavirta, Matthew Hudson, Kerttu Seppälä, Lihua Sun, Herry K. Karlsson, Jussi Hirvonen, Lauri Nummenmaa (2023). Pattern recognition reveals sex-dependent neural substrates of sexual perception. Human Brain Mapping. // IF = 4.8
  11. Matthew Hudson, Severi Santavirta, Vesa Juhani Putkinen, Kerttu Seppala, Lihua Sun, Tomi Karjalainen, Henry Karlsson, Jussi Hirvonen, Lauri Nummenmaa (2023). Neural responses to biological motion distinguish autistic and schizotypal traits in the general population. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience. // IF = 4.2
  12. Lihua Sun, Lasse Lukkarinen, Vesa Putkinen, Henry K Karlsson, Jussi Hirvonen, Jari Tiihonen, Hannu Lauerma, Sophie Scott, Lauri Nummenmaa (2023). Mu-opioid receptor system modulates responses to vocal bonding and distress signals in humans. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 377(1863). // IF = 6.3
  13. Lihua Sun, Lasse Lukkarinen, Tuomo Noppari, Sanaz Nazari-Farsani, Vesa Putkinen, Kerttu Seppälä, Matthew Hudson, Pekka Tani, Nina Lindberg, Henry K Karlsson, Jussi Hirvonen, Marja Salomaa, Niina Venetjoki, Hannu Lauerma, Jari Tiihonen, Lauri Nummenmaa (2022). Aberrant motor contagion of emotions in psychopathy and high-functioning autism. Cerebral Cortex. // IF = 4.86
  14. Severi Santavirta, Tomi Karjalainen, Sanaz Nazari-Farsani, Matthew Hudson, Vesa Putkinen, Kerttu Seppala, Lihua Sun, Enrico Glerean, Jussi Hirvonen, Henry K Karlsson, Lauri Nummenmaa (2023). Functional organization of social perception in the human brain. NeuroImage. // IF = 5.7
  15. Lihua Sun, Richard Aarnio, Erika Atencio Herre, Salli Kärnä, Senthil Palani, Helena Virtanen, Heidi Liljenbäck, Jenni Virta, Aake Honkaniemi, Vesa Oikonen, Chunlei Han, Sanna Laurila, Marco Bucci, Semi Helin, Emrah Yatkin, Lauri Nummenmaa, Pirjo Nuutila, Jing Tang, Anne Roivainen (2022). [11C]carfentanil PET imaging for studying the peripheral opioid system in vivo: effect of photoperiod on mu-opioid receptor availability in brown adipose tissue. European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging. // IF = 10.057
  16. Tuomo Noppari, Lihua Sun, Lasse Lukkarinen, Vesa Putkinen, Pekka Tani, Nina Lindberg, Emma Saure, Hannu Lauerma, Jari Tiihonen, Niina Venetjoki, Marja Salomaa, Päivi Rautio, Jussi Hirvonen, Juha Salmi, Lauri Nummenmaa (2022). Brain structural alterations in autism and criminal psychopathy. NeuroImage: Clinical. // IF = 4.881
  17. Sanna Laurila, Eleni Rebelos, Minna Lahesmaa, Lihua Sun, Katharina Schnabl, Tia-Mari Peltomaa, Riku Klén, Mueez U-Din, Miikka-Juhani Honka, Olli Eskola, Anna K Kirjavainen, Lauri Nummenmaa, Martin Klingenspor, Kirsi A Virtanen, Pirjo Nuutila (2022). Novel Effects of the Gastrointestinal Hormone Secretin on Cardiac Metabolism and Renal Function. American Journal of Physiology-Endocrinology and Metabolism. 322:54-62. // IF = 4.746
  18. Lihua Sun, Jing Tang, Heidi Liljenbäck, Aake Honkaniemi, Jenni Virta, Janne Isojärvi, Tomi Karjalainen, Tatu Kantonen, Pirjo Nuutila, Jarmo Hietala, Valtteri Kaasinen, Kari Kalliokoski, Jussi Hirvonen, Harry Scheinin, Semi Helin, Kim Eerola, Eriika Savontaus, Emrah Yatkin, Juha O Rinne, Anne Roivainen, Lauri Nummenmaa (2021). Journal of Neuroscience, 41(6), 1265–1273. // IF = 6.709
  19. Sanna Laurila, Lihua Sun, Minna Lahesmaa, Katharina Schnabl, Kirsi Laitinen, Riku Klén, Yongguo Li, Miroslav Balaz, Christian Wolfrum, Katja Steiger, Tarja Niemi, Markku Taittonen, U-Din Mueez, Tommi Välikangas, Laura L Elo, Olli Eskola, Anna K Kirjavainen, Lauri Nummenmaa, Kirsi A Virtanen, Martin Klingenspor, Pirjo Nuutila (2021). Secretin activates brown fat and induces satiation. Nature Metabolism, 3(6), 798–809. // IF = 19.865
  20. Lauri Nummenmaa, Lasse Lukkarinen, Lihua Sun, Vesa Putkinen, Kerttu Seppälä, Tomi Karjalainen, Henry K Karlsson, Matthew Hudson, Niina Venetjoki, Marja Salomaa, Päivi Rautio, Jussi Hirvonen, Hannu Lauerma, Jari Tiihonen (2021). Brain Basis of Psychopathy in Criminal Offenders and General Population. Cerebral Cortex. // IF = 5.357
  21. Vesa Putkinen, Sanaz Nazari-Farsani, Kerttu Seppälä, Tomi Karjalainen, Lihua Sun, Henry K Karlsson, Matthew Hudson, Timo T Heikkilä, Jussi Hirvonen, Lauri Nummenmaa (2021). Decoding Music-Evoked Emotions in the Auditory and Motor Cortex. Cerebral Cortex. // IF = 5.357
  22. Venla Kuusinen, Jari Peräkylä, Lihua Sun, Keith Ogawa, Kaisa Marjatta Hartikainen (2021). Emotional Modulation of Frontal Alpha Asymmetry – a Novel Biomarker of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience. // IF = 3.169
  23. Lauri Nummenmaa, Patrick Jern, Tuulia Malén, Tatu Kantonen, Laura Pekkarinen, Lasse Lukkarinen, Lihua Sun, Pirjo Nuutila, Vesa Putkinen (2021). μ-opioid receptor availability is associated with sex drive in human males. Cognitive, Affective, & Behavioral Neuroscience. // IF = 3.282
  24. Prasannakumar Deshpande, Dani Flinkman, Ye Hong, Elena Goltseva, Valentina Siino, Lihua Sun, Sirkku Peltonen, Laura L Elo, Valtteri Kaasinen, Peter James, Eleanor T Coffey (2020). Protein synthesis is suppressed in sporadic and familial Parkinson’s disease by LRRK2. The FASEB Journal. 34(11):14217–33. // IF = 5.834
  25. Matthew Hudson, Kerttu Seppälä, Vesa Putkinen, Lihua Sun, Enrico Glerean, Tomi Karjalainen, Henry K Karlsson, Jussi Hirvonen, Lauri Nummenmaa (2020). Dissociable neural systems for unconditioned acute and sustained fear. NeuroImage. // IF = 7.02
  26. Lihua Sun, Jari Peräkylä, Katri Holm, Joonas Haapasalo, Kai Lehtimäki, Keith H Ogawa, Jukka Peltola, Kaisa M Hartikainen (2017) Vagus nerve stimulation improves working memory performance, Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology, 39(10), 954–964. // IF = 2.475
  27. Lihua Sun, Jari Peräkylä, Kaisa M Hartikainen. Frontal alpha asymmetry, a potential biomarker for the effect of neuromodulation on brain’s affective circuitry-preliminary evidence from a deep brain stimulation study (2017). Frontiers in human neuroscience. // IF = 3.169
  28. Jari Peräkylä, Lihua Sun, Kai Lehtimäki, Jukka Peltola, Juha Öhman, Timo Möttönen, Keith H Ogawa, Kaisa M Hartikainen (2017). Causal Evidence from Humans for the Role of Mediodorsal Nucleus of the Thalamus in Working Memory. Journal of cognitive neuroscience. 29(12):2090–102. // IF = 3.225
  29. Lihua Sun, Jari Peräkylä, Anselmi Kovalainen, Keith H Ogawa, Pekka J Karhunen, Kaisa M Hartikainen (2016). Human brain reacts to transcranial extraocular light. PLoS ONE. // IF = 3.24
  30. Lihua Sun, Jari Peräkylä, Markus Polvivaara, Juha Öhman, Jukka Peltola, Kai Lehtimäki, Heini Huhtala, Kaisa M Hartikainen (2015) Human anterior thalamic nuclei are involved in emotion–attention interaction. Neuropsychologia, 78, 88-94. // IF = 3.01
  31. Kaisa M Hartikainen, Lihua Sun, Markus Polvivaara, Maarja Brause, Kai Lehtimäki, Joonas Haapasalo, Timo Möttönen, Kirsi Väyrynen, Keith H Ogawa, Juha Öhman, Jukka Peltola (2014). Immediate effects of deep brain stimulation of anterior thalamic nuclei on executive functions and emotion-attention interaction in humans. Journal of clinical and experimental neuropsychology. 36(5):540–50. // IF = 2.475

Theses

  • D. Thesis (approved with Honours). “Impact of Neuromodulation on Cognitive and Affective Brain Functions in Humans”, Lihua Sun, School of Medicine, University of Tampere, Tampere, Finland, 20.09.2016
  • Thesis (final grade 4 out of 5). “Novel JNK substrate docking domains: function and protein-protein interaction and subcellular localization”. Lihua Sun, Department of Chemistry and Bioengineering, Tampere University of Technology, Tampere, Finland, 09.12.2009