Collaborative Research on Cognitive Correlates of Clinical Depression

描述（由申请人提供）：该提案是罗格斯大学-纽瓦克分校（美国新泽西州）和圣城大学（西岸/巴勒斯坦领土阿布迪斯）之间的合作，旨在支持“重度抑郁症患者学习和决策的合作研究”的研究、教育和基础设施发展。重点关注重度抑郁症（MDD）针对的是一个关键的当地心理健康问题，并提供了一个难得的机会，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，这对促进全球MDD的科学和临床治疗具有重要意义。2008年，罗格斯大学/圣城大学大脑研究交流项目由P.I.（罗格斯大学的Mark Gluck博士）和我们的主要巴勒斯坦合作者Adel Misk医学博士（圣城大学教职员工）、Mohammad Herzallah医学博士（巴勒斯坦医学博士，现为罗格斯大学的博士候选人）和Yasin Tayem医学博士（圣城大学教职员工）共同建立；欲了解更多信息，请参阅http://neuroscience.med.alquds.edu和http://www.alquds.rutgers.edu。目前的交流项目提供了一个框架，在这个框架内，这里提出的科学、教育和基础设施项目将最终导致未来在圣城大学建立一个巴勒斯坦神经科学研究所。有了R21的资助，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重度抑郁症的认知相关性，重点研究这种疾病和抗抑郁药物是如何改变学习和决策的。(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R01提案的基础。虽然目前的研究重点是抑郁症，但所建立的基础设施和将要培训的巴勒斯坦教师和学生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。这将使位于西岸阿布迪斯的圣城大学成为神经科学、神经学和精神病学研究和培训的区域性强国。这些新方案以西岸/巴勒斯坦领土为基地，将对西岸的研究和保健作出巨大贡献，并在全球和中东地区的合作关系中成为可行的研究和教育伙伴。

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.