Research Projects

Neuropsychological and neurophysiological function in associative learning in schizophrenia
Neuropsychology & neurochemistry in ' sub-syndromes ' : Cognitive measures of selective attention: i.e. conditioned blocking (CB), + left/right indices of frontal, parietal & temporal lobe function : monoamine metabolism in serum & dopamine D2-receptor binding

Project ended 2005. Support: German Research Council support, (DFG),

Cooperation: Clinical Psychology in Wuppertal, and the University Psychiatry Clinics in Düsseldorf and Bonn

Neurobiology of selective information processing during treatment of schizophrenia, - compared with obsessive-compulsive disorder
A longitudinal study of event-related potentials, neuropsychology & neurochemistry in 'sub-syndromes'. Sensory gating with P50, N1, P300 ERP responses to targets & non-targets in a discrimination (i.e. interference with automatic & controlled processing).)).

Project ended 2004. Support: German Research Council support, DFG,

Cooperation: Clinical Psychology, Wuppertal; University Psychiatry Clinics Düsseldorf & Bonn; Nisaad in Sydney, & the University of Newcastle, Australia.

An international longitudinal ERP study of auditory sensory memory (mismatch negativity, MMN) & the attentional trace (Negative difference, Nd) [early automatic pre-conscious & later controlled processing] - neuropsychological associations & course.

Project ended 2006. Support: - University of Duisburg-Essen (IFORES) & the Alfried Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach Stiftung.

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International Multi-centre ADHD Genetics Project (IMAGE)

A quantitative trait locus (QTL) sibling pair analysis: a search for markers for ADHD vulnerability and expression .
Also pilot studies of childhood ADHD, (1) endogenous / exogenous sources of inhibition [negative priming vs Stroop], (2) associations of impulsivity with serotonin activity, and (3) a study of parent-child/child-parent interactions and the influence on hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal function.

Project ran 2002-2007: analysis/write-up to 2011.. Support : (1) National Institutes of Health (NIH) / National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH : U.S.A.): PI is Prof. S. V. Faraone. (2) Whole Genome Association Scan of ADHD, Funded by the Genetic Association Information Network (GAIN) Foundation for the U.S. National Institutes of Health.

[1] Organisers: Steve Faraone, at SUNY, Syracuse; assisted by Philip Asherson, Institute of Psychiatry, London; Joe Sergeant, Free University Amsterdam

[2] Cooperation with : - 12 other Centres in -- Belgium, Germany, Ireland, Israel, The Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland and the U.K.

Errors and their implications for cognition and behaviour in ADHD

Psychophysiology and neuropsychology of factors modulating feedback & feedforward processes.

a) Biological (event-related potentials [ERPs]) consequences & psychological associations of making mistakes & planning in childhood & adolescence

b) The ability and need to switch, change, and adapt in ADHD as affected by vulnerability in the family, comorbid problems and medication

Project ended 2006 .

Cooperation with : - Michael Falkenstein and Nele Wild-Wall, (Institute for Occupational Physiology (IfADo), University of Dortmund, Germany -[data collection ended: 1.1.2007]

Project VI

The functions of glia: associations and consequences of glial dysfunction for ADHD

There are 2 sorts of glia in the brain: (1) Astrocytes supply energy to support rapid neuronal firing (that underlies choice and response): (2) Oligodendrocytes supply energy and precursors for myelination in development. A problem with energy supply via the lactate shuttle may underlie variable behaviour in ADHD and reflect compromised glial function (Russell et al. 2006). We investigated biomarkers of glial integrity, signs of neuroprotection and their associations in children growing up with ADHD.

Pilot project ran 2007-2009 with the support of UCB GmbH (write-up completed 2011)

Project VII

Evaluation of two years with or without residential interactive care for young persons with a psychosis (Trialog)

A comparison of pathology, neuropsychology and social function in young persons after inpatient treatment for a psychosis over a 2-year rehabilitation period with patients who did not have the same opportunity

Project ran 2007-2009 with support from the Christian Eggers Stiftung (completed 2010)

Project VIII

Genetics and clinical features of substance use disorders in Europe

In view of an increased risk for substance-use in those growing up with ADHD and related disorders we seek genetic variations to phenotypes and combinations of phenotypes in order to build a predictive model of ADHD and substance use disorders (SUD). This a partial follow-up study at 3 centres of the IMAGE cohort in project IV above.