MRS, fMRI and Cognitive Function in Psychiatric Disorders and Normal Development
Cognitive Neuroimaging and Neuropsychology Laboratory, McLean Hospital
Deborah A. Yurgelun-Todd, Ph.D.; Staci Gruber, M.A.; W.D. Scott Killgore, Ph.D.; Ika Rogowska, Ph.D.; Lisa Quattrochi, M.D., Ph.D.; Gen Kanayama M.D., Ph.D.; Chen-huan Chiu, M.D.; Russell Loeber, Ph.D.; Srinivasan Pillay, M.D.; Robert Irvin, M.D.; Matthew Belmonte, Ph.D; Ron Steingard, M.D.
This laboratory is focused on understanding the neurobiological changes associated with the etiology and course of affective and psychiatric disorders through the application of magnetic resonance techniques. We have used the combined MR techniques of magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), and functional MR (fMRI) to study patients with psychiatric disorders, healthy adults, and children and adolescents. Complementary information on brain chemistry and function have provided data regarding the course of metabolite changes, as well as data on functional brain activation in response to cognitive challenge paradigms. These findings have indicated a specific anomalous pattern of activation in frontal and temporal systems in patients with psychiatric disorders as compared to healthy adult subjects. This pattern is similar to that demonstrated by healthy children and early adolescents. To further examine neural models, we are studying the effects of illicit and neurotoxic agents on non-psychiatric subjects, and the effects of typical and atypical antipsychotic agents in patients with psychotic disorders. Other studies include the application of neuroimaging techniques to the investigation of confabulated versus truthful recall of information and to the evaluation of systems involved in emotional processing and mood regulation.
Key words: schizophrenia, bipolar illness, substance abuse, development, neuropsychology, fMRI, MRS, autism, clinical trials, affect, depression, cerebellum.
Grant Support: NIDA: R01 DA12483-1, Residual Cognitive Effects of Cannabis: An fMRI Study (DY-T); NIMH: 2P01MH31154, Biological Research in Schizophrenia, fMRI section (DY-T); P50 MH60450-01A, Glutamatergic Dysfunction in Schizophrenia (JTC); 1R01 MH59136 Creativity and Liability for Schizophrenia (DKK); 1R01 MH57764, Obstetrical Complications and Pathology in Schizophrenia (DKK); F30 MH12535-02, Imaging the Cerebellum in Psychotic Disorders; CDC: U50/CCU114464-01, Cognitive Function and Symptom Patterns in Gulf War Veterans, fMRI section (DY-T); Hood Foundation: Functional Imaging of Affective Processing and Learning in Adolescence (DY-T); NAAR: Visual Spatial Attention in Autism: Localization of Mechanisms (DY-T). Eli Lilly, Inc: Health Outcome Study of First Episode Patients; Cognitive Studies of Psychotic Patients Before and After Olanzapine Treatment; Repligen: Effects of Secretin on Facial Affect Recognition in Adults as Measured by fMRI (DY-T).
Program Site: Cognitive Neuroimaging and Neuropsychology Laboratory/NeuroImaging Center, McLean Hospital.
Program Director: Deborah A. Yurgelun-Todd, Ph.D., Cognitive Neuroimaging and Neuropsychology Laboratory, McLean Hospital, 115 Mill St., Belmont, MA 02478. e-mail address: ytodd@mclean.harvard.edu
Contact Person: Norah Simpson, Research Assistant, Cognitive Neuroimaging and Neuropsychology Laboratory, McLean Hospital, 115 Mill St. Belmont, MA 02478. e-mail: nsimpson@mclean.harvard.edu , phone (617) 855-2688.
Training Opportunities: Currently there are two post-doctoral research fellows, and two predoctoral fellows.
Representative Publications:
Kinney DK, Steingard RJ, Renshaw PF, Yurgelun-Todd DA. Perinatal complications and abnormal proton metabolite concentration in frontal cortex of adolescents seen on magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Neuropsychiat Neuropsychol Behav Neurol. 2000; 13(1):8-12.
Yurgelun-Todd DA, Gruber SA, Kanayama G, Killgore WDS, Baird AA, Young AD. fMRI during affect discrimination in bipolar affective disorder. Bipolar Disord. 2000; 2(3 Pt 2):237-48.
Killgore WDS, Oki M, Yurgelun-Todd DA. Sex-specific developmental changes in amygdala responses to affective faces. Neuroreport. 2001:12(2); 427-33.
Belmonte M, Yurgelun-Todd DA. Permutation testing made practical for functional magnetic resonance image analysis. IEEE Transact Med Imaging. 2001; 20(3):243-8.
Cohen BM, Yurgelun- Todd DA. Alterations in thalamic activity in schizophrenics and in response to antipsychotic drugs. Neuropsychopharmacol. 2001:25(3);305-312.
Pope HG , Gruber AJ, Hudson JI, Houstis M, Yurgelun-Todd DA. Neuropsychological performance in long-term cannabis users. Arch Gen Psychiatry. Oct;58(10):909-15.