Dr Tom Farrow
BSc (Hons), PhD
Neuroscience, School of Medicine and Population Health
Senior Lecturer in Neuroimaging
Honorary NHS Clinical Scientist
+44 114 271 3128
Full contact details
Neuroscience, School of Medicine and Population Health
Room N129, N-Floor
Royal Hallamshire Hospital
Glossop Road
Sheffield
S10 2JF
- Profile
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Following an undergraduate degree (1991-1995, BSc.[Hons.] Neuroscience; 2:i) and PhD (1995-1998, “Structural MRI study on the aetiology and cognitive effects of hippocampal sclerosis”, supervised by Dr Richard Grünewald, and Professor Andrew Mayes) at the University of Sheffield, I took up a post-doctoral position at the Neuroscience and Psychiatry Unit, University of Manchester.
In 1999, I returned to the University of Sheffield to help found and develop the Sheffield Cognition and Neuroimaging Laboratory (SCANLab) within Academic Clinical Psychiatry.
In 2001 I was lead author on the first fMRI study to be conducted in Sheffield and began a tenured lectureship position. In 2002 I was awarded a 12-month Royal Society Overseas Fellowship, which was hosted by the Brain Dynamics Centre, University of Sydney, Australia.
Returning to SCANLab in 2003, I continued to conduct structural- and functional MRI-based research and attract grant-funding, most notably as co-investigator on a multi-centre Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) Large Grant (2008-2013; “Emotion regulation of others and self (EROS): A collaborative research network”; £2.7M). I was promoted to Senior Lecturer in 2009.
In 2013 I moved to Academic Clinical Neurology (in the former Department of Neuroscience), to establish new collaborations and apply my research and methodological expertise to a range of new disorders and cognitive questions.
In 2016 I appointed as Associate Director of Student Affairs (previously known as Undergraduate Dean) for the MBChB course. In 2017, I was appointed as Director of first-year Medicine (MBChB, Phase 1) and in 2018 as Director of Undergraduate Learning and Teaching for the former Department of Neuroscience. In 2018 I was appointed as Senior University Teacher.
I continue to supervise MSc and PhD research students, but now devote most of my time to Medical education.
- Research interests
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My methodological research interests are structural (voxel-based morphometry [VBM]) and functional MR brain imaging, electrophysiological recording (skin conductance response [SCR]) and neuromodulation (transcranial direct current stimulation [tDCS]).
I have applied these methodologies in psychiatric (schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder [PTSD]) and neurologic (Alzheimer’s Disease, tinnitus, epilepsy, non-epileptic attack disorder [NEAD]) patients and healthy subjects.
The aspects of cognition in which I am interested include empathy, theory of mind, social cognition, deception, emotional salience, emotion regulation and ‘resting-state’.
Current projects
- Do personal beliefs impact on the ego-depletion effect (via PhD student, Ahmad Assinnari)
- Using EEG resting state parameters as biomarkers of cognitive decline in ageing
- Modulation of cognitive function via transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and transcutaneous vagal nerve stimulation (tVNS)
- Publications
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Books
Journal articles
- A Pilot Study Investigating a Novel Non-Linear Measure of Eyes Open versus Eyes Closed EEG Synchronization in People with Alzheimer’s Disease and Healthy Controls. Brain Sciences, 8(7), 134-134. View this article in WRRO
- Common and distinct patterns of grey-matter volume alteration in major depression and bipolar disorder: evidence from voxel-based meta-analysis. Molecular Psychiatry, 22, 1455-1463. View this article in WRRO
- 24-channel transcutaneous electrical sensory stimulation of the forearm: Effects on cognitive performance and autonomic arousal compared with single-electrode stimulation. Cogent Medicine, 3(1), 1-11. View this article in WRRO
- The Neural Correlates of Emotion Regulation by Implementation Intentions. PLOS ONE, 10(3), e0119500-e0119500. View this article in WRRO
- Neural correlates of self-deception and impression-management. Neuropsychologia, 67, 159-174.
- The neural correlates of regulating another person's emotions: an exploratory fMRI study.. Front Hum Neurosci, 8, 376. View this article in WRRO
- Automatic control of negative emotions: Evidence that structured practice increases the efficiency of emotion regulation. Cognition and Emotion. View this article in WRRO
- The effect of head orientation on subarachnoid cerebrospinal fluid distribution and its implications for neurophysiological modulation and recording techniques. Physiological Measurement, 34(3), N9-N14.
- 15:45 AUDITORY CORTICAL DYSFUNCTION AS A BASIS FOR AUDITORY HALLUCINATIONS. Schizophrenia Research, 136, S90-S90.
- Grey matter differences in bipolar disorder: a meta-analysis of voxel-based morphometry studies.. Bipolar Disord, 14(2), 135-145.
- Neural correlates of the behavioral-autonomic interaction response to potentially threatening stimuli.. Front Hum Neurosci, 6, 349. View this article in WRRO
- Grey matter differences in bipolar disorder: A meta-analysis of voxel-based morphometry studies. Bipolar Disorders, 14(2), 135-145.
- Enhanced cortical effects of auditory stimulation and auditory attention in healthy individuals prone to auditory hallucinations during partial wakefulness. NeuroImage.
- Enhanced cortical effects of auditory stimulation and auditory attention in healthy individuals prone to auditory hallucinations during partial wakefulness.. Neuroimage, 57(3), 1154-1161.
- Evidence of mnemonic ability selectively affecting truthful and deceptive response dynamics. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGY, 124(4), 447-453.
- Higher or lower? The functional anatomy of perceived allocentric social hierarchies. NeuroImage, 57(4), 1552-1560. View this article in WRRO
- Evidence of mnemonic ability selectively affecting truthful and deceptive response dynamics. American Journal of Psychology, 123(4), 447-453.
- The state of tranquility: subjective perception is shaped by contextual modulation of auditory connectivity.. Neuroimage, 53(2), 611-618. View this article in WRRO
- Performance on the clock drawing task correlates with FMRI response to a visuospatial task in Alzheimer's disease.. Int J Neurosci, 120(5), 335-343.
- Treatment effects of therapeutic cholinesterase inhibitors on visuospatial processing in Alzheimer's disease: a longitudinal functional MRI study.. Dement Geriatr Cogn Disord, 29(2), 176-188.
- A neuroanatomical basis for the frequency of discrete spontaneous activities in schizophrenia.. Open Neuroimag J, 3, 48-53. View this article in WRRO
- The neural basis of visuospatial perception in Alzheimer's disease and healthy elderly comparison subjects: an fMRI study.. Psychiatry Res, 172(2), 109-116.
- The development of a clinically useful tool for predicting the development of psychological disorder following injury.. Br J Clin Psychol, 48(Pt 1), 31-45. View this article in WRRO
- Delusions and dorso-medial frontal cortex volume in first-episode schizophrenia: A voxel-based morphometry study. Psychiatry Research - Neuroimaging, 172(3), 175-179.
- Speaking of secrets and lies: the contribution of ventrolateral prefrontal cortex to vocal deception.. Neuroimage, 40(3), 1411-1418.
- Investigating the neuropsychological and neuroanatomical changes that occur over the first 2-3 years of illness in patients with first-episode schizophrenia. Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry, 32(2), 531-538.
- Increased cerebellar vermis white-matter volume in men with schizophrenia.. J Psychiatr Res, 41(8), 645-651.
- Voice familiarity engages auditory cortex.. Neuroreport, 18(13), 1375-1378.
- Fronto-temporal-lobe atrophy in early-stage Alzheimer's disease identified using an improved detection methodology.. Psychiatry Res, 155(1), 11-19.
- Longitudinal changes in neuroanatomy and neural activity in early schizophrenia.. Neuroreport, 18(5), 435-439.
- Volumetric white matter abnormalities in first-episode schizophrenia: a longitudinal, tensor based morphometry study. American Journal of Psychiatry, 7(164), 1082-1089.
- Longitudinal changes in neuroanatomy and neural activity in early schizophrenia.. NeuroReport, 5(18), 435-439.
- A functional magnetic resonance imaging study of social cognition in schizophrenia during an acute episode and after recovery.. Am J Psychiatry, 163(11), 1926-1933.
- Modafinil and unconstrained motor activity in schizophrenia: double-blind crossover placebo-controlled trial.. Br J Psychiatry, 189, 461-462.
- A six-year follow-up MRI study of complicated early childhood convulsion.. Pediatr Neurol, 35(4), 257-260.
- Longitudinal changes in regional grey matter volume and corresponding EEG power in first-episode psychosis. AUST NZ J PSYCHIAT, 40, A122-A123.
- Volumetric white matter abnormalities in first-episode schizophrenia: a longitudinal MRI study. AUST NZ J PSYCHIAT, 40, A122-A122.
- Neural activity in speech-sensitive auditory cortex during silence.. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 103(1), 189-194.
- Progressive grey matter atrophy over the first 2-3 years of illness in first-episode schizophrenia: A tensor-based morphometry study. NeuroImage, 32(2), 511-519.
- Diagnosis-related regional gray matter loss over two years in first episode schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.. Biol Psychiatry, 58(9), 713-723.
- Structural brain correlates of unconstrained motor activity in people with schizophrenia.. Br J Psychiatry, 187, 481-482.
- Quantifiable change in functional brain response to empathic and forgivability judgments with resolution of posttraumatic stress disorder.. Psychiatry Res, 140(1), 45-53.
- Recent developments in deception research. Current Psychitatry Reviews, 3(1), 273-279.
- Grey matter deficits and symptom profile in first episode schizophrenia. Psychiatry Research - Neuroimaging, 139(3), 229-238.
- Smaller hippocampal volume in patients with recent-onset posttraumatic stress disorder.. Biol Psychiatry, 56(11), 832-836.
- A cognitive neurobiological account of deception: evidence from functional neuroimaging.. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci, 359(1451), 1755-1762.
- Social cognition, brain networks and schizophrenia.. Psychol Med, 34(3), 391-400.
- SEX AND PERSONALITY TRAITS INFLUENCE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TIME TAKEN TO TELL THE TRUTH OR LIE. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 97(5), 451-451.
- Approaching an ecologically valid functional anatomy of spontaneous "willed" action.. Neuroimage, 20(2), 1264-1269.
- Sex and personality traits influence the difference between time taken to tell the truth or lie.. Percept Mot Skills, 97(2), 451-460.
- Brain volume as a marker for age of psychosis onset in schizophrenia. AUST J PSYCHOL, 55, 30-30.
- Regionally specific grey-matter volume reductions in first-episode schizophrenia and affective-disorder. AUST J PSYCHOL, 55, 17-17.
- A neural basis for the perception of voices in external auditory space.. Brain, 126(Pt 1), 161-169.
- An MRI study of complicated early childhood convulsion. JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY NEUROSURGERY AND PSYCHIATRY, 72(1), 138-138.
- Behavioural and functional anatomical correlates of deception in humans.. Neuroreport, 12(13), 2849-2853.
- Investigating the functional anatomy of empathy and forgiveness.. Neuroreport, 12(11), 2433-2438.
- Empathy and forgiveness judgement fMRI activations - preliminary findings in patients with PTSD symptoms and healthy volunteers.. NEUROIMAGE, 13(6), S396-S396.
- Functional anatomy and psychophysical validity of the perception of the spatial location of hallucination-like auditory stimuli: fMRI pilot study in normal subjects.. NEUROIMAGE, 13(6), S894-S894.
- A preliminary description of the behavioural and functional anatomical correlates of lying. NeuroImage, 13(6), 477-477.
- The neuroimaging of "dysempathy" is relevant to understanding social cognition in schizophrenia. SCHIZOPHR RES, 49(1-2), 190-190.
- A magnetic resonance study of complicated early childhood convulsion. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry, 71(5), 638-642.
- The neural basis of monitoring goal progress. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 8. View this article in WRRO
Chapters
- Neuroimaging of empathy In Farrow TFD & Woodruff PWR (Ed.), Empathy in Mental Illness (pp. 201-216). Cambridge University Press
- Empathy deficits in schizophrenia, Empathy in Mental Illness (pp. 17-32). Cambridge University Press
- Empathy in Mental Illness Foreword, EMPATHY IN MENTAL ILLNESS (pp. IX-XXII).
- A cognitive neurobiological account of deception: Evidence from functional neuroimaging In Goodenough OR & Zeki S (Ed.), Law and the Brain (pp. 169-184). Oxford University Press
- Neuroimaging of Forgivability In Worthington EL (Ed.), Handbook of Forgiveness (pp. 259-272). Routledge
- Lying as an executive function. In Halligan PW, Bass CM & Oakley DA (Ed.), Malingering and Illness Deception Oxford University Press
Conference proceedings papers
- A novel quantitative EEG approach to distiguish Alzheimer’s disease from fronto tempura dementia and healthy controls. Journal of the Neurological Sciences, Vol. 381 (pp 319-319)
- QEEG CAN DISTINGUISH PATIENTS WITH AD AND VOLUNTEERS. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry, Vol. 87(12) (pp e1.192-e1)
- O4-09-02: Quantitative Eeg Can Identify Difference Between Patients with Alzheimer's Disease and Healthy Volunteers on an Individual Level. Alzheimer's & Dementia, Vol. 12 (pp P353-P354)
- GREY MATTER VOLUME CORRELATES OF ACTIVITIES OF DAILY LIVING IN SCHIZOPHRENIA. SCHIZOPHRENIA BULLETIN, Vol. 35 (pp 219-219)
- NEURAL BASIS OF HUMOUR APPRECIATION AND UNDERSTANDING OTHERS' INTENTIONS IN SCHIZOPHRENIA: AN FMRI STUDY. SCHIZOPHRENIA BULLETIN, Vol. 35 (pp 167-167)
- AUDITORY CORTICAL VOLUME AND LOUDNESS OF AUDITORY HALLUCINATIONS IN SCHIZOPHRENIA. SCHIZOPHRENIA BULLETIN, Vol. 35 (pp 216-216)
- The use of fMRI techniques to investigate the perception of tranquillity. 38th International Congress and Exposition on Noise Control Engineering 2009, INTER-NOISE 2009, Vol. 1 (pp 699-706)
- A neuroanatomical basis for the frequency of discrete spontaneous activities in people with schizophrenia. SCHIZOPHRENIA BULLETIN, Vol. 33(2) (pp 355-356)
- Impaired activities of daily living in schizophrenia: Correlation with reduced cortical grey matter volume. SCHIZOPHRENIA BULLETIN, Vol. 33(2) (pp 341-341)
- Structural MRI evidence of differences between first episode bipolar disorder and first episode schizophrenia. BIPOLAR DISORDERS, Vol. 8 (pp 18-18)
- The functional anatomy of vocal lying. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY, Vol. 55 (pp 60S-60S)
- Treatment induced brain changes during forgiveness tasks in patients with schizophrenia. SCHIZOPHRENIA RESEARCH, Vol. 67(1) (pp 109-109)
- Treatment associated brain changes during empathy tasks in patients with schizophrenia. SCHIZOPHRENIA RESEARCH, Vol. 67(1) (pp 108-109)
- Modulation of connectivity in the executive and sensorimotor systems prior to spontaneous willed action. Schizophrenia Research, Vol. 60(1) (pp 233-234)
- Complex semantic verbal fluency correlates with FMRI bold activation during empathy tasks in schizophrenia. Schizophrenia Research, Vol. 60(1) (pp 230-231)
- The functional anatomy of forgiveness in patients with schizophrenia. Schizophrenia Research, Vol. 60(1) (pp 218-218)
- Regional grey matter reduction in people with schizophrenia demonstrated by voxel-based morphometry. Schizophrenia Research, Vol. 60(1) (pp 211-211)
- The functional anatomy of empathy in patients with schizophrenia. Schizophrenia Research, Vol. 60(1) (pp 226-227)
- Neural representation of voices "outside the head". J NEUROL NEUROSUR PS, Vol. 72(6) (pp 824-824)
- A laterality effect in the perception of simulated auditory verbal hallucinations in external space. SCHIZOPHRENIA RESEARCH, Vol. 53(3) (pp 91-91)
- The neural representation of hallucination-like speech in external auditory space. SCHIZOPHR RES, Vol. 53(3) (pp 22-23)
- A laterality effect in brain response to simulated auditory verbal hallucinations in external space. SCHIZOPHR RES, Vol. 53(3) (pp 91-91)
- Teaching activities
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- Director of Studies, MBChB Phase 1
- Head of Neuroscience, MBChB Phase 1
- MBChB, Associate Director of Student Affairs
- Department of Neuroscience, Director of Undergraduate Learning and Teaching
- Module lead for ‘Neuroimaging, Neurophysiology & Neuropsychiatry’ (MED624)
- Module lead for ‘Neuroanatomy’ (practical human brain dissection) courses, MBChB Phase 1 and various Masters courses (MED661)
- ILA facilitator, MBChB Phase 1
- Lecturer, MRCPsych course
- Have supervised 7 PhD, 9 BMedSci, 17 MSc,1 DClinPsy and numerous undergraduate medical student research projects.
- Professional activities and memberships
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- Member, Department of Neuroscience, Executive Committee
- Honorary NHS Clinical Scientist, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Editorial board member, The Open Neuroimaging Journal, Bentham Science, USA.
- Member, Association for Psychological Science (APA)
- Member, Organization for Human Brain Mapping (OHBM)
- Member, Association for Medical Education in Europe (AMEE)