Human Brain Project research on mental health

To mark World Mental Health Day, we’ve curated a selection of news items, publications, and partnering projects that highlight the Human Brain Project's commitment to research on depression, anxiety, and other mental health conditions.

News items

Study by Human Brain Project researchers reveals why Ritalin affects everyone differently 
A study by Human Brain Project researchers identifies a new marker for predicting the clinical outcome of patients of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis through magnetoencephalography. 

COVID-19 and mental health: Human Brain Project welcomes two new EU-funded research programmes 
Two proposals answering the Human Brain Project’s calls for expression of interest on “COVID-19 and its impact on brain and mental health” have been selected for European Commission funding totalling nearly EUR 450 000. 

HBP scientists have developed personalised brain models to improve the treatment of depression 
The models aim to improve the treatment of depression by allowing clinicians to preview in a virtual environment how patients might respond to brain stimulation. 

HBP lead scientist Roshan Cools aims to make dopamine drug prescriptions more personal and effective 
The research could pave the way for personalised prescriptions for depression, ADHD, Parkinson's disease and others, allowing doctors to prescribe the right drugs to the right person at the right time. 

HBP scientists analyse mechanism that can drive prediction failure in schizophrenia 
The Human Brain Project supports research that contributes to a better understanding of schizophrenia. In a recent study, scientists analysed a mechanism that may be behind one of the characteristic symptoms of the disorder. 

Neuronal and neurotransmitter systems dynamic coupling explains the effects of psilocybin 
Interest in research into the effects of psilocybin, a psychedelic drug, has increased significantly in recent years due to its promising therapeutic effects in neuropsychiatric disorders such as depression, anxiety and addiction. 

Publications

Early identification of postpartum depression using demographic, clinical, and digital phenotyping 

High-resolution virtual brain modeling personalizes deep brain stimulation for treatment-resistant depression: Spatiotemporal response characteristics following stimulation of neural fiber pathways 

When your brain looks older than expected: combined lifestyle risk and BrainAGE 

Functional connectivity of supplementary motor area during finger-tapping in major depression 

Interactions between Personality, Depression, Anxiety and Cognition to Understand Early Stage of Alzheimer’s Disease 

Automated High-Definition MRI Processing Routine Robustly Detects Longitudinal Morphometry Changes in Alzheimer’s Disease Patients

White Matter Microstructure Underlies the Effects of Sleep Quality and Life Stress on Depression Symptomatology in Older Adults 

Astrocyte-mediated spike-timing-dependent long-term depression modulates synaptic properties in the developing cortex 

Brain Network Simulations Indicate Effects of Neuregulin-1 Genotype on Excitation-Inhibition Balance in Cortical Dynamics 

Integrating psychosocial variables and societal diversity in epidemic models for predicting COVID-19 transmission dynamics 

Partnering projects

DOPAMAP seeks to understand causes and effects of vulnerability to mental health conditions during adolescence. 

The aim of the Subschiz project is to build a computational model that allows studying how hypothesized disease-related genetic or metabolic abnormalities map to observable behavioural PPI deficits in neurons that are central in the startle network. 

Brain Matters

Brain Matters #11 - "Schizophrenia: a temporal disorder?"  

The next episode of Brain Matters will take place on 20 October from 16:30 - 17:30 CET and will feature the following HBP researchers: 

  • Georg Northoff (The Royal's Institute of Mental Health Research)
  • Anne Marie Wolff (University of Ottawa) 
  • Maria Karanikolaou (University of Athens) 

We hope you will join us for this episode! Make sure to register here.