WG Neurobiology of Psychoses

Head: Prof. Dr. med. Andrea Schmitt

Schizophrenia and affective disorders (depression, bipolar disorder) often have an unfavourable outcome with persistent symptoms and cognitive disturbances. Additionally, these diseases are underdiagnosed and improvement of diagnosis by general practitioners is warranted. The DFG-funded graduate school POKAL aims to significantly improve the care of patients with depression in a primary care setting. In our project “Prediction models for depression using physiological markers” we will use uni- and multivariate clustering techniques to identify and validate psychosocial-somatic subpopulations (metabolic syndrome, heart rate variability, cardiovascular parameters) in a depressive patient cohort. In addition, we will perform prediction and validation of depression based on psychosocial-somatic parameters in a naturalistic cohort recruited in general practitioner practices.

Furthermore, funded by the Else Kröner-Fresenius Research Graduate School “Translational Psychiatry” our research group deals with the neurobiological background of patients with schizophrenia and affective disorders. In post-mortem brain regions we investigate cell types (neurons, oligodendrocytes, astrocytes) by using microscopy (design-based stereology) (Figure 1A,B), RNA sequencing and proteomics. Additionally, we work on differentiation of patient-derived stem cells into neurons and oligodendrocytes and cell-specific RNA sequencing (Figure 2).

To improve treatment of our patients we develop new treatment strategies such as physical exercise and investigate effects on symptoms and cognition in large cohorts (funded by BMBF).