Projekte: Systemische Neurowissenschaften in der Psychiatrie

- Besseres Verständnis der pathophysiologischen Mechanismen von Schmerzerkrankungen. Identifizierung von spezifischen Schlüssel-Mechanismen, die im Rahmen von muskuloskelettalen Schmerzen von Bedeutung sind (psychologische Aspekte (Angst, Depression, Traumatisierung), Endocannabinoides System, nerve growth factor, genetischer Variablen, Coping und Resilienz sowie die Rolle von Muskel, Faszie und Haut). - Identifikation von Risiko- und Schutzfaktoren für die Entwicklung chronischer muskuloskelettaler Schmerzen. - Etablierung einer mechanismen-basierten Subgruppenklassifikation von Patienten mit muskuloskelettalen Schmerzen unter der Berücksichtigung der Schlüssel-Mechanismen.

The aim of EU-GEI is to identify, over a 5-year period, the interactive genetic, clinical and environmental determinants involved in the development, severity and outcome of schizophrenia. In order to identify these interactive determinants, EU-GEI will employ family-based, multidisciplinary research paradigms, which allow for the efficient assessment of gene-environment interactions. In order to go beyond old findings from historical convenience cohorts with crude measures of environmental factors and clinical outcomes, the focus in EU-GEI will be on recruitment of new, family-based clinical samples with state-of-the-art assessments of environmental, clinical and genetic determinants as well as their underlying neural and behavioural mechanisms. New statistical tools will be developed to combine the latest multilevel epidemiological with the latest genome-wide genetic approaches to analysis. Translation of results to clinical practice will be facilitated by additional experimental research and risk assessment bioinformatics approaches. This will result in (i) the identification of modifiable biological and cognitive mechanisms underlying gene-environment interactions and (ii) the construction of Risk Assessment Charts and Momentary Assessment Technology tools which can be used for (i) early prediction of transition to psychotic disorder in helpseeking individuals with an at-risk mental state and (ii) early prediction of course and outcome after illness onset. In order to reach these goals, EU-GEI has assembled a multidisciplinary team of top schizophrenia researchers who have the range of aim of EU-GEI is to identify, over a 5-year period, the interactive genetic, clinical and environmental determinants involved in the development, severity and outcome of schizophrenia. In order to identify these interactive determinants, EU-GEI will employ family-based, multidisciplinary research paradigms, which allow for the efficient assessment of gene-environment interactions. In order to go beyond old findings from historical convenience cohorts with crude measures of environmental factors and clinical outcomes, the focus in EU-GEI will be on recruitment of new, family-based clinical samples with state-of-theart assessments of environmental, clinical and genetic determinants as well as their underlying neural and behavioural mechanisms. New statistical tools will be developed to combine the latest multilevel epidemiological with the latest genome-wide genetic approaches to analysis. Translation of results to clinical practice will be facilitated by additional experimental research and risk assessment bioinformatics approaches. This will result in (i) the identification of modifiable biological and cognitive mechanisms underlying gene-environment interactions and (ii) the construction of Risk Assessment Charts and Momentary Assessment Technology tools which can be used for (i) early prediction of transition to psychotic disorder in help-seeking individuals with an atrisk mental state and (ii) early prediction of course and outcome after illness onset. In order to reach these goals, EU-GEI has assembled a multidisciplinary team of top schizophrenia researchers who have the range of skills required to deliver a program of research that meets all the call’s requirements and who have access to / will collect a number of unique European samples. The The aim of EU-GEI is to identify, over a 5-year period, the interactive genetic, clinical and environmental determinants involved in the development, severity and outcome of schizophrenia. In order to identify these interactive determinants, EU-GEI will employ family-based, multidisciplinary research paradigms, which allow for the efficient assessment of gene-environment interactions. In order to go beyond old findings from historical convenience cohorts with crude measures of environmental factors and clinical outcomes, the focus in EU-GEI will be on recruitment of new, family-based clinical samples with state-of-the-art assessments of environmental, clinical and genetic determinants as well as their underlying neural and behavioural mechanisms. New statistical tools will be developed to combine the latest multilevel epidemiological with the latest genome-wide genetic approaches to analysis. Translation of results to clinical practice will be facilitated by additional experimental research and risk assessment bioinformatics approaches. This will result in (i) the identification of modifiable biological and cognitive mechanisms underlying gene-environment interactions and (ii) the construction of Risk Assessment Charts and Momentary Assessment Technology tools which can be used for (i) early prediction of transition to psychotic disorder in help-seeking individuals with an at-risk mental state and (ii) early prediction of course and outcome after illness onset. In order to reach these goals, EU-GEI has assembled a multidisciplinary team of top schizophrenia researchers who have the range of skills required to deliver a program of research that meets all the call’s requirements and who have access to / will collect a number of unique European samples. The partners in EU-GEI represent the nationally funded schizophrenia / mental health networks of the UK, Netherlands, France, Spain, Turkey and Germany as well as other partners.

Despite remarkable advances in molecular and imaging technologies and nearly 15,000 articles on schizophrenia and depression (S&D) every year, there have been few truly innovative new chemical entities (NCEs) which have made it to the clinic. While there has been a tremendous explosion of new knowledge: dozens of single-nucleotide polymorphisms linked to disease, hundreds of new molecules and pathways identified, numerous imaging findings differentiating patients from controls, yet, it has been hard to take these findings from the bench to the clinic. We think there are three major bottlenecks that are holding the field back: i) a lack of pathophysiologically-accurate animal models guiding the drug discovery of NCEs; ii) a lack of tools and tests in healthy volunteers that can provide early indication of efficacy; and iii) the reliance of clinical trials on symptom-based DSM-categories which inevitably lead to biologically heterogeneous groups of patients. To overcome these limitations, we have brought together a consortium of six leading European and an Israeli academic institution (which bring expertise in animal models, genetics, functional MRI and PET imaging, clinical settings and analysis methods) and two SMEs (which bring expertise in high-throughput genetics, transcriptomics and proteomics) who will partner with the dozen EFPIA partners in the NEWMEDS consortium. To specifically target the challenges identified in Call 10, the NEWMEDS consortium will: a) develop animal models that focus on reliable cross-species endophenotypes (e.g., cognitive function, electrophysiology) and use crossspecies methods (small-animal MRI, EEG and micro-PET) to bring animal models closer to clinical endpoints; b) validate the use of fMRI-based paradigms as early and surrogate markers for efficacy; and to combine this with PET approaches for measuring changes in endogenous transmitters – thus providing new methods that can be implemented in small Phase 1B studies in healthy volunteers to provide guidance for drug development; and c) identify pharmacogenetic biomarkers that can be used to stratify patients within an umbrella DSM-diagnosis, thus allowing for targeted clinical trials, individualized treatment and back-translation of subgroup-specific biomarkers into preclinical drug discovery. To increase the chance of a breakthrough we will implement new analytical approaches – the use of support vector machine learning algorithms for image analyses; the use of Bayesian and growth mixture models for more meaningful analyses of clinical trial data. The project will be delivered through a series of integrated workpackages organized in three clusters – preclinical models, imaging methods, and biomarker development as exemplified in Figure 1. Our consortium has achieved its 1:1 in-kind match, indicative of the involvement and commitment of all EFPIA partners. One of Europe’s leading scientific management SMEs (GABO:mi) will facilitate the management of NEWMEDS and a distinguished international Scientific Advisory Board will provide input and guidance. To ensure that we maximally integrate with other ongoing international initiatives, we have commitments of collaborations from several international consortia and experts (e.g. MATRICS, NIH Biomarkers Consortium). By the end of the 5 year project we expect to provide ready to use new cross-validated animal models, new fMRI methods with dedicated analysis techniques, new PET radioligands, as well as new genetic and proteomic biomarkers for patient-segmentation or individual response prediction. These tools should provide our EFPIA partners with an added competitive advantage in developing new drugs for S&D.

On the regional level, Europe has one of the highest levels of resources for mental health care. Despite this, the high burden and impact of mental disorders in Europe is expected to rise. “ROAdmap for Mental health Research” (ROAMER) is designed to develop a comprehensive, consensus-based roadmap to promote and integrate mental health and well-being research in Europe. Research advances and innovations are to be devoted to decreasing the burden of mental disorders and increasing the mental health and well-being of Europeans. ROAMER will combine a neutral, fact-based methodology with extensive stakeholder involvement in consultation and dissemination. During the kick-off phase, the methodology (including comprehensive EU-wide indicators to assess the current state of the art, gaps and advances) and the desired situation (scoping and objectives) will be finalised. Secondly, the current state of the art will be examined, using these tools. In the third phase, the desired situation will be compared with the current situation to identify gaps and advances. Phase four prioritises these gaps and advances, as well as solutions. In the fifth phase, this information is translated into roadmaps covering infrastructures, capacity building and funding strategies for scientific areas relevant to mental health and well-being: biomedical, psychological, social, economic and public health. Geographical, interdisciplinary, developmental, gender and age perspectives will be taken into account. To achieve consensus among a broad group of scientists, service users, carers, government and funding institutions and other stakeholders, ROAMER uses web-based survey’s, scientific workshops, scientific advisory board meetings, stakeholder meetings, consensus meetings, and policy meetings. The consortium consists of leading experts in the field, and is well balanced in terms of geographical distribution and complementary expertises across all relevant aspects of mental health research.

Dieses neurowissenschaftliche Forschungsvorhaben widmet sich bisher unvollständig erforschten Aspekten von neuronaler Plastizität, der essentiellen Fähigkeit synaptischer Schaltkreise zur erfahrungsabhängigen Adaptation, die bei psychiatrischen Erkrankungen wie der Schizophrenie häufig gestört ist. Das Vorhaben erweitert das bestehende Grundlagenwissen über die Mechanismen fronto-striataler Plastizität und soll multimodal bildgebenden Plastizitätsmarker mit hohem klinischen Potential erarbeiten.