Projects
Optimizing maintenance electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) for depression, with lithium as add-on therapy. KU Leuven
This research project is based on an ongoing multicentric study aimed to optimize the maintenance treatment with lithium and electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) for depression (PRASED – Preventing Relapse After Successful Electroconvulsive therapy for Depression). The project consists of a clinical study, a randomized controlled trial funded by FWO-TBM, and is a collaboration of 4 research sites (UPC KU Leuven campus Kortenberg, PZ Duffel, AZ ...
PrevenD 2.0: Implementation of gamified cognitive control training to prevent recurrence of depression Ghent University
The goal of PrevenD 2.0 is to deliver a freely accessible, cost-effective,
preventive intervention for (recurrent) depression and guide
implementation in clinical practice. For this purpose, we aim to
maximize the impact of a recently developed and proven effective
preventive gamified cognitive control training (CCT) procedure for
remitted depressed patients (developed and tested in PrevenD 1.0). In ...
Non-Amyloid Pathological Brain Aging in Late Life Depression KU Leuven
Depression and age-related brain disorders such as dementia are together one of the greatest public health issues of our time. With a rapidly increasing aging population and longer life expectancy, the burden associated with depression in later life will only increase. Understanding the neurobiological mechanisms underlying depression is crucial for limiting the personal and economic impact of the disorder by improving diagnosis and ...
Interpersonal Emotion Regulation in Couples Facing Perinatal Depression Ghent University
The proposal aims to examine (a) interpersonal emotion regulation strategies (IERS) in couples facing perinatal depression), (b) which of these IERS are (mal)adaptive, and (3) the interplay between IERS and other psychosocial risk factors. We will therefore use a combination of Multi-Family-Member Interviews, a questionnaire study, and a prospective ESM study, within samples of couples facing perinatal depression.
At the edge of existence: Unravelling the associations between existential suffering, disconnection and geriatric depression in nursing home residents KU Leuven
Alarming high prevalence rates of depression are reported among nursing home residents (NHRs) (4% to 25% for major depression) which is twice as high as for community-dwelling older adults. Etiological factors for late life depression often reflect reasons for a nursing home (NH) transition (e.g., physical disability, functional impairment) but these factors do not fully explain the elevated prevalence of depressive symptoms. Simultaneously ...
Multimodal PET-MRI brain imaging of white matter pathology in late life depression KU Leuven
Depression in later life (late-life depression: LLD) is a common but debilitating psychiatric disorder, which is associated with cerebrovascular disease. Understanding the neurobiological mechanisms underlying LLD is crucial for new solutions for its prevention and treatments. Previous studies have revealed that macrostructural white matter damage is associated with LLD, but little is known about microstructural alterations. The aim of this ...
Multimodal PET-MRI brain imaging of white matter pathology in late life depression KU Leuven
Dopaminergic modulation of memory generalisation in depression. KU Leuven
The neural system that establish integrated episodic memory (i.e., memory about “what happened where and when”) comprises different forebrain and midbrain areas, including the neurochemically and functionally distinct VTA system that originates in the brainstem and provides the major dopaminergic input (i.e., releasing the neurotransmitter dopamine) to the forebrain. This proposal focusses on memory generalization (i.e., the ability to ...