双相情感障碍（BPD）是精神科临床常见的一类重性精神障碍，发病机制不清。情绪相关神经环路的研究对揭示情感障碍的病理生理机制起有重要作用。本项目紧密围绕“情感和记忆的神经环路基础”重大研究计划的总体目标，充分利用我国的资源优势，应用具有国际前沿水平的研究技术，采用多模态多水平的研究策略，从分子（如基因结构、表观遗传和表达）到系统（如行为、认知、脑结构、功能和神经网络连接）水平对BPD患者和模型小鼠进行独立及比较分析；在患者与模型动物之间建立起一种能够从神经解剖、神经功能和分子生物机制深入研究BPD的转化研究模式，并聚焦单胺递质、生物节律系统以及它们的交互作用，旨在发现与BPD相关的核心大脑区域和神经环路，揭示相关异常神经环路的生物学机制。该研究是将多学科独特的资源和最新研究技术的交叉和有机结合，其研究成果有望为深入理解BPD的发病机制，开发新的疾病预防、诊断和治疗手段提供科学依据。

Bipolar disorder (BPD) is a common and severe mental disorder in psychiatric clinic, but so far the pathogenesis of the disease is still poorly understood. Studies on emotion-related neural circuits play an important role in the pathophysiological mechanism of affective disorder. The current project is focus on the overall objective of the major research plan entitled “neural circuits of emotion and memory”, which was initiated by National Natural Science Foundation of China in 2011. In the proposed study, by making full use of our advantages in research resources, along with international forefront technologies in the field, we aimed to identifying the core region of the brain and neural circuits associated with BPD. We will, firstly, perform independent and comparative analysis from the molecular (e.g. variation of gene structure, expression and epigenetic) to systematic (such as: behavior, cognition, brain structure, function and neural network connection) levels in both human patients with BPD and BPD model mice by utilizing multi-modal approaches. Secondly, we will establish a translational model to investigate anatomical, functional and molecular changes in both human patients with BPD and animal models by the in-depth research on BPD. Thirdly, we will explore the biological mechanism of BPD neural circuit abnormalities by focusing on the monoamine neurotransmitters, biological rhythm system and their interaction. This study is multidisciplinary intersection of unique research resources and up-to-date research techniques. The results from this research are expected to further understanding of the pathogenesis of BPD, to develop new means of disease prevention, and to provide the scientific basis for disease diagnosis and treatment.