Programmes Européens EU PCRD6

Reinforcement-related behaviour in normal brain function and psychopathology (IMAGEN)

• Coordinator

  Contact Person:
  SCHUMANN, Gunter (Professor)
  Tel: +44-2078480871
  Fax: +44-20-78480866
  Email: Contact

  Organisation:
  KING'S COLLEGE LONDON
  SGDP CENTRE
  Strand
  LONDON
  UNITED KINGDOM

Project description

A fundamental function of the brain is to evaluate motivational and emotional significance of stimuli and to adapt behaviour accordingly. We hypothesize that genetically influenced individual differences in brain responses to reward, punishment and emotional cues in adolescents mediate risk for mental disorders with a major public health impact. Neuroimaging permits the measurement of specific brain functions implicated in the etiology of mental disorders and link them to genetic variations and behavioural characteristics relevant to disease processes. The goal of the present study is to identify the neurobiological and genetic bases of these traits and to assess their relevance for mental disorder. To this end, we will perform the first multicentre functional and structural genetic-neuroimaging study of a cohort of 2000+ 14 year old adolescents.

Intermediate phenotypes of risk for adolescent mental illness will be explored based on cognitive, behavioural, clinical and neuroimaging data. To determine the predictive value of intermediate phenotypes and genetics for development of mental disorders, our cohort will be psychometrically assessed during recruitment and longitudinally at year 4 (age 16-18) of this proposal. DNA samples and phenotype database for the cohort will create a powerful resource for present and future genetic investigations. In the present study, we will assess association with markers of genes chosen from existing genomic information and from our studies of animals selected for extreme phenotypes of impulsivity and other relevant behavioural traits. Results obtained will be validated in 1000 siblings from the Canadian Saguenay youth neuroimaging study.

The IMAGEN study will help elucidate the neural basis of mental disorders and will lay the groundwork for development of treatments that target specific pathological processes across mental disorders rather than heterogeneous categories of mental illness.

Participants

• TECHNISCHE UNIVERSTITÄT DRESDEN, GERMANY
• PHYSIKALISCH-TECHNISCHE BUNDESANSTALT, GERMANY
• NORDICLABS AS, NORWAY
• INSTITUT NATIONAL DE LA SANTÉ ET DE LA RECHERCHE MÉDICALE, FRANCE
• THE PROVOST FELLOWS AND SCHOLARS OF THE COLLEGE OF THE HOLY AND UNDIVIDED TRINITY OF QUEEN ELIZABETH NEAR DUBLIN, (HEREINAFTER TCD), IRELAND
• UNIVERSITY OF BONN, GERMANY
• UNIVERSITY OF NOTTIGHAM, UNITED KINGDOM
• DELOSIS LTD, UNITED KINGDOM
• GABO:MI GESELLSCHAFT FÜR ABLAUFORGANISATION :MILLIARIUM MBH & CO. KG, GERMANY
• UNIVERSITÄTSKLINIKUM HAMBURG-EPPENDORF, GERMANY
• UNIVERSITY OF SUSSEX, UNITED KINGDOM
• PERTIMM PERTINENT ET IMMEDIAT, FRANCE
• CHARITÉ UNIVERSITÄTSMEDIZIN BERLIN, GERMANY
• CONSORTIUM NATIONAL DE RECHERCHE EN GENOMIQUE - CNG, FRANCE
• COMMISSARIAT À L'ENERGIE ATOMIQUE', FRANCE
• SCITO S.A., FRANCE
• THE CHANCELLOR, MASTERS AND SCHOLARS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE, UNITED KINGDOM
• CENTRAL INSTITUTE OF MENTAL HEALTH - ZENTRALINSTITUT FUER SEELISCHE GESUNDHEIT, GERMANY