Collaborative Research on Learning and Decision Making in Patients with Major Dep

描述（由申请人提供）：该提案是罗格斯大学纽瓦克分校（新泽西，美国）和圣城大学（阿布迪斯，约旦河西岸/巴勒斯坦领土）之间的合作，以支持研究，教育和基础设施的发展，为“合作研究学习和决策的患者与严重抑郁症。“专注于重度抑郁症（MDD）针对一个关键的当地心理健康问题，并提供了一个难得的机会，以利用西岸巴勒斯坦人中MDD的许多独特的文化，环境，家庭和临床方面，这对推动全球MDD的科学和临床治疗具有重要意义。2008年，P.I.成立了罗格斯/圣城大脑研究交流中心。(Mark格鲁克博士，和我们的主要巴勒斯坦合作者，医学博士阿德尔米斯克。（教师，圣城），沿着与穆罕默德Herzallah，医学博士。（巴勒斯坦医生，现在是罗格斯大学的博士候选人）和亚辛·塔耶姆医学博士，博士（教师，圣城）;更多信息见http://neuroscience.med.alquds.edu和http://www.alquds.rutgers.edu。目前的交流计划提供了一个框架，在这个框架内，这里提出的科学，教育和基础设施计划将最终导致在圣城大学建立一个未来的巴勒斯坦神经科学研究所。有了这笔R21赠款，研究人员将（1）进一步发展圣城大学神经科学研究的环境，人员和基础设施，（2）研究西岸巴勒斯坦人严重抑郁症的认知相关性，重点是疾病和抗抑郁药物如何改变学习和决策，以及（3）使用收集的数据和预期的基础设施增长作为未来向NIH发展中国家脑疾病项目提交的R 01提案的基础。虽然目前的研究重点将是MDD，但所建立的基础设施以及巴勒斯坦教师和学生的培训可能会在未来几年扩大到解决许多其他心理健康和大脑研究问题。这将在约旦河西岸阿布迪斯的圣城大学建立一个神经科学、神经病学和精神病学研究和培训的区域中心。总部设在西岸/巴勒斯坦领土，这些新的计划将是一个强大的贡献者，在西岸的研究和医疗保健，以及一个可行的研究和教育合作伙伴的合作关系，在世界各地和中东。 公共卫生相关性：在我们提议的项目中，我们将专注于研究西岸巴勒斯坦人中重度抑郁症（MDD）和抗抑郁药管理的认知相关性，其中MDD是头号心理健康问题，影响约24%的男性和45%的女性，比美国高出两到三倍。我们的项目将支持在圣城大学神经科学研究的环境，人员和基础设施的进一步发展，以及针对西岸的一个关键的当地心理健康问题，并利用巴勒斯坦人独特的文化，环境，家庭和临床方面的MDD来回答有关这种疾病的重要问题，并推进MDD的科学和临床治疗。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This proposal is a collaboration between Rutgers University-Newark (New Jersey, USA) and the Al-Quds University (Abu Dis, West Bank/Palestinian Territories) to support research, education, and infrastructural development for "Collaborative Research on Learning and Decision Making in Patients with Major Depressive Disorder." Focusing on Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) targets a critical local mental health issue and provides a rare opportunity to take advantage of the many unique cultural, environmental, familial, and clinical aspects of MDD among West Bank Palestinians with implications for advancing the science and clinical treatment of MDD worldwide. In 2008 the Rutgers/Al-Quds Brain Research Exchange was established by the P.I. (Mark Gluck, Ph.D., of Rutgers) and our lead Palestinian collaborator, Adel Misk, M.D. (faculty, Al-Quds), along with Mohammad Herzallah, M.D. (a Palestinian medical doctor, now a doctoral candidate at Rutgers), and Yasin Tayem, M.D., Ph.D. (faculty, Al-Quds); for more information see http://neuroscience.med.alquds.edu and http://www.alquds.rutgers.edu. The current exchange program provides the framework within which the scientific, educational, and infrastructural programs proposed here will lead, ultimately, to the establishment of a future Palestinian Neurosciences Institute at Al-Quds University. With this R21 grant, the investigators will (1) further develop the environment, personnel, and infrastructure at Al-Quds University for neuroscience research, (2) study the cognitive correlates of Major Depressive Disorder among West Bank Palestinians, focusing on how the disease and antidepressant medications alter learning and decision making, and (3) use the collected data and expected infrastructural growth as the basis for a future R01 proposal to the NIH Brain Disorders in the Developing World program. Although the current research focus will be on MDD, the infrastructure created, and the Palestinian faculty and students to be trained, will likely expand to address many other mental health and brain research issues in coming years. This will create at Al-Quds University in Abu Dis, West Bank, a regional powerhouse in neuroscience, neurology, and psychiatry research and training. Based in the West Bank/Palestinian Territories, these new programs will be a formidable contributor to research and health care in the West Bank, as well as a viable research and educational partner for collaborative relationships worldwide and in the Middle East. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: In our proposed project, we will focus on studying the cognitive correlates of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and antidepressant administration among West Bank Palestinians, where MDD is the #1 mental health problem, affecting approximately 24% of men and 45% of women, a rate two to three times higher than in the USA. Our project will support further development of the environment, personnel, and infrastructure at Al-Quds University for neuroscience research, as well as target a critical local mental health issue in the West Bank and take advantage of unique cultural, environmental, familial, and clinical aspects of MDD among Palestinians to answer important questions about this disorder and advance the science and clinical treatment of MDD worldwide.