Dynamic Measures of Neurochemistry in Mood Disorders

描述：(申请人提供)我的研究方向是 解开情绪与时间、节奏变化之间的关系 脑脊液中的单胺含量。目前的研究项目合并了5-羟色胺和抑郁症。 对耶鲁大学以前在脑脊液采样技术方面的工作感兴趣 在范德比尔特。试点数据表明，单胺类化合物的振荡模式 代谢物水平可能比绝对浓度更重要。我们是 能够在Vanderbilt使用Q10在48小时内监测脑脊液神经化学 微量样品，以演示单胺代谢物的动态振荡 使用傅里叶变换方法的能级，并分离出主导周期长度 在这些周期中。这些方法作为一种困难的方法是非常有希望的 用科学/工程的方法来理解 导致抑郁的单胺系统。 K23研究事业奖将为我的研究创造专门的时间 成为这一领域的独立研究人员。虽然我有很好的 精神病学技能，我的培训计划将需要额外的知识 应用数学和统计学，使我能够进一步分析 神经化学数据，并开发更好的方法来评估 单胺能功能。颁奖期的计划包括 在这些领域以及在负责任和道德的研究行为方面也是如此。这个 研究策略将在专门从事以下工作的导师的指导下制定 不同的领域，但他们一起可以帮助我产生高质量的研究 新的方法。我长期的职业目标是尊重我的遗产 通过将新一代研究人员带到挑战和 发现的奖励，并进一步了解生理学基础 情绪调节，目的是发现更可靠和直接的方法 用来缓解抑郁。

DESCRIPTION: (provided by applicant) My research effort is directed toward unraveling the relationships between mood and temporal, rhythmic changes in monoamine levels in CSF. The current project merges serotonin and depression interests from previous work at Yale with techniques in CSF sampling developed at Vanderbilt. Pilot data indicate that oscillatory patterns in monoamine metabolite levels may be more important than absolute concentrations. We are able at Vanderbilt to monitor CSF neurochemistry over 48-hour periods with q10 minute samples, to demonstrate dynamic oscillations in monoamine metabolite levels using Fourier transform methods, and to isolate dominant period lengths of these cycles. These methods are extremely promising as a hard science/engineering approach to understanding the dynamic interactions between monoamine systems that contribute to depression. The K23 Research Career Award will create dedicated time needed for my research career to become an independent researcher in this area. Although I have good psychiatric skills, my training program will require additional knowledge in applied mathematics and statistics to enable me to analyze further the neurochemical data and develop better methods for assessing oscillations in monoaminergic function. Plans for the award period include didactic courses in these areas as well as in the responsible and ethical conduct of research. The research strategy will develop under the guidance of mentors who specialize in different areas but who, together can help me produce quality research with a novel approach. My long range career goals are to honor the legacy of my mentors by bringing a new generation of researchers to the challenge and rewards of discovery, and to further the understanding of the physiologic basis of mood regulation with the aim of discovering more reliable and direct means for alleviating depression.