A virtual reality ‘Shopping Task’ could help test for cognitive decline in adults

New research part-funded by the NIHR Maudsley Biomedical Research Centre suggests that a virtual reality test in which participants “go to the shops” could offer a potentially promising way of effectively assessing functional cognition, the thinking and processing skills needed to accomplish complex everyday activities.

By NIHR Maudsley BRC at 27 Jan 2022

Genetics helps estimate the risk of disease – but how much does it really tell us?

Genetics research has made momentous strides in the 21st century. At the start of the century, we had a broad understanding that most medical problems in the developed world are partly genetically determined but lacked the technology to fully explore the secrets hiding in our genome.

 

By NIHR Maudsley BRC at 26 Jan 2022

Bringing together imaging and genetic mapping to investigate patterns of vulnerability in the brain

Dr Daniel Martins is a Clinical Research Associate, Dr Mattia Veronese is a senior molecular imaging scientist and Dr. Ottavia Dipasquale is a Research Associate, all in the Department of Neuroimaging at King’s College London. In this blog they discuss their recent study which is funded by the NIHR Maudsley BRC and has brought together scientists from across the world to define a new approach to integrate neuroimaging and a form of genetic mapping.

By NIHR Maudsley BRC at 21 Jan 2022

New collaboration with digital therapeutics company to investigate preventable opioid respiratory deaths

A clinical trial that is collecting data on the features of opioid overdoses within the safety of a clinical setting will be integrating a monitoring platform into the research to investigate how to prevent deaths from breathing problems in opioid users.

By NIHR Maudsley BRC at 20 Jan 2022

Next generation of rapid-acting antidepressants: Can ketamine help prevent suicide?

Naghmeh Nikkheslat is a Senior Research Associate at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN) who is working on a project funded by the NIHR Maudsley BRC to investigate the use of ketamine as a medication for depression. In this blog, she talks about her research into depression and the immune system and what we currently know about ketamine as an anti-inflammatory antidepressant in psychiatric emergencies.

By NIHR Maudsley BRC at 10 Jan 2022