Maja Neidhart, Rikka Kjelkenes, Karina Jansone, Barbora Rehák Bučková, Nathalie Holz, Frauke Nees, Henrik Walter, Gunter Schumann, Michael A. Rapp, Tobias Banaschewski, Emanuel Schwarz, Andre Marquand, on behalf of the environMENTAL consortium
{"title":"A protocol for data harmonization in large cohorts","authors":"Maja Neidhart, Rikka Kjelkenes, Karina Jansone, Barbora Rehák Bučková, Nathalie Holz, Frauke Nees, Henrik Walter, Gunter Schumann, Michael A. Rapp, Tobias Banaschewski, Emanuel Schwarz, Andre Marquand, on behalf of the environMENTAL consortium","doi":"10.1038/s44220-024-00315-0","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44220-024-00315-0","url":null,"abstract":"This Comment presents a high-level protocol for data harmonization within large cohorts, in which it postulates four main steps including (1) expert review, (2) pre-statistical harmonization, (3) statistical harmonization, and (4) validation.","PeriodicalId":74247,"journal":{"name":"Nature mental health","volume":"2 10","pages":"1134-1137"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.nature.com/articles/s44220-024-00315-0.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142435932","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Frauke Nees, Paul Renner, Nathalie E. Holz, Elli Polemiti, Sebastian Siehl, Sören Hese, Kerstin Schepanski, Gunter Schumann, on behalf of the environMENTAL consortium
{"title":"Large-scale population data enrichment in mental health research","authors":"Frauke Nees, Paul Renner, Nathalie E. Holz, Elli Polemiti, Sebastian Siehl, Sören Hese, Kerstin Schepanski, Gunter Schumann, on behalf of the environMENTAL consortium","doi":"10.1038/s44220-024-00316-z","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44220-024-00316-z","url":null,"abstract":"This Comment explores new approaches to enrich large-scale population data, including incorporating macro-environmental and digital health measures.","PeriodicalId":74247,"journal":{"name":"Nature mental health","volume":"2 10","pages":"1124-1127"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.nature.com/articles/s44220-024-00316-z.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142435934","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Bernd Carsten Stahl, George Ogoh, Gunter Schumann, Henrik Walter, On behalf of the environMENTAL consortium
{"title":"Rethinking ethics in interdisciplinary and big data-driven neuroscience projects","authors":"Bernd Carsten Stahl, George Ogoh, Gunter Schumann, Henrik Walter, On behalf of the environMENTAL consortium","doi":"10.1038/s44220-024-00320-3","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44220-024-00320-3","url":null,"abstract":"The focus of much of contemporary research ethics is on compliance with established protocols. However, large data-driven neuroscience research raises new ethical concerns that have no agreed-upon solution. Here we reflect on these challenges and propose better integration of public and patient involvement in this evolving landscape.","PeriodicalId":74247,"journal":{"name":"Nature mental health","volume":"2 10","pages":"1128-1130"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.nature.com/articles/s44220-024-00320-3.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142435958","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Sylvane Desrivières, Abigail Miller, Carina M. Mathey, Xinyang Yu, Di Chen, Kofoworola Agunbiade, Stefanie Heilmann-Heimbach, Andreas J. Forstner, Gunter Schumann, Per Hoffmann, Markus M. Nöthen, on behalf of the environMENTAL consortium
{"title":"Multi-omics analyses of the environMENTAL project provide insights into mental health and disease","authors":"Sylvane Desrivières, Abigail Miller, Carina M. Mathey, Xinyang Yu, Di Chen, Kofoworola Agunbiade, Stefanie Heilmann-Heimbach, Andreas J. Forstner, Gunter Schumann, Per Hoffmann, Markus M. Nöthen, on behalf of the environMENTAL consortium","doi":"10.1038/s44220-024-00317-y","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44220-024-00317-y","url":null,"abstract":"Integrative analyses that incorporate different levels of ‘-omics’ data represent a powerful tool for deciphering the biological mechanisms that underlie environmental influences on mental health and disease. This Comment highlights various aspects of such multi-omics approaches, using the example of the EU-funded environMENTAL project.","PeriodicalId":74247,"journal":{"name":"Nature mental health","volume":"2 10","pages":"1131-1133"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.nature.com/articles/s44220-024-00317-y.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142435959","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"What should constitute a control condition in psychedelic drug trials?","authors":"Luana Colloca, Maurizio Fava","doi":"10.1038/s44220-024-00321-2","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44220-024-00321-2","url":null,"abstract":"Over the past decade there has been a surge in interest in placebo-controlled trials using non-classical 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) and classical psychedelics such as psilocybin, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) to treat neuropsychiatric disorders. However, the success and reliability of these trials depend on the design of the trials, the choice of control conditions, and the ability to blind both participants and researchers. When appropriate control conditions are lacking, it becomes difficult to disentangle placebo and expectation effects from medication effects. Here we explore the neurobiology of placebo and expectation effects, alongside the methodological considerations for selecting suitable control conditions in psychedelic trials. This includes examining the advantages and disadvantages of various control conditions and proposing new directions to enhance the validity of these trials and their regulatory science. By addressing these factors, we aim to improve the reliability of psychedelic research in uncovering the therapeutic benefits of psychedelics beyond placebo and expectation effects. To improve the reliability of research on the therapeutic benefits of psychedelics beyond placebo and expectation effects, the authors discuss the methodological considerations for selecting suitable control conditions in psychedelic trials and the neurobiology of placebo and expectation effects.","PeriodicalId":74247,"journal":{"name":"Nature mental health","volume":"2 10","pages":"1152-1160"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142435960","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Dysfunction in sensorimotor and default mode networks in major depressive disorder with insights from global brain connectivity","authors":"Yajuan Zhang, Chu-Chung Huang, Jiajia Zhao, Yuchen Liu, Mingrui Xia, Xiaoqin Wang, Dongtao Wei, Yuan Chen, Bangshan Liu, Yanting Zheng, Yankun Wu, Taolin Chen, Yuqi Cheng, Xiufeng Xu, Qiyong Gong, Tianmei Si, Shijun Qiu, Jingliang Cheng, Yanqing Tang, Fei Wang, Jiang Qiu, Peng Xie, Lingjiang Li, Yong He, Ching-Po Lin, DIDA-Major Depressive Disorder Working Group, Chun-Yi Zac Lo","doi":"10.1038/s44220-024-00323-0","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44220-024-00323-0","url":null,"abstract":"Major depressive disorder (MDD) is recognized as a severe mental illness with imbalanced interactions among brain networks. However, the detailed mechanisms of large-scale network dysfunction and their clinical implications are not fully understood. To explore the neurological basis of altered connectivity within the brain, the current case-control study aimed to examine large-scale connectivity coherence in MDD using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data from 1,148 individuals with MDD and 1,079 healthy volunteers across nine research centers. Global brain connectivity (GBC) was estimated and compared between groups. Compared with healthy volunteers, individuals with MDD had decreased GBC in sensorimotor/visual networks and increased GBC mainly in default mode networks (DMNs) (voxel-level P < 0.001, cluster-level P < 0.05). These main findings were consistent across different clinical states of MDD, indicating their independence from clinical factors (P < 0.05, FDR-corrected). Further seed connectivity revealed that individuals with MDD had heightened connectivity between DMNs and primary sensory cortices, but reduced connectivity within primary sensory cortices (voxel-level P < 0.001, cluster-level P < 0.05). The findings suggest a network imbalance toward the DMNs at the expense of the sensorimotor/visual networks in individuals with MDD experiencing a depressive episode. These alterations, involving both higher-order cognitive systems and low-level sensory systems, could provide insights into understanding the multifaceted clinical and cognitive deficits observed in MDD. Using a large multisite dataset of people with major depressive disorder and healthy controls, the authors show global brain connectivity alterations in the sensorimotor, visual, and default mode networks.","PeriodicalId":74247,"journal":{"name":"Nature mental health","volume":"2 11","pages":"1371-1381"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142595698","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Determining pathways that link brain, body, lifestyle and mental health","authors":"","doi":"10.1038/s44220-024-00307-0","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44220-024-00307-0","url":null,"abstract":"Using multimodal brain imaging and organ-specific physiological markers from more than 18,000 adult participants of the UK Biobank database, this study reveals integrated pathways that explain the interplay between brain, body, environment and lifestyle, and their collective influence on mental health outcomes.","PeriodicalId":74247,"journal":{"name":"Nature mental health","volume":"2 10","pages":"1140-1141"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142435956","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Mapping connectivity and network alterations in youth depression by functional brain imaging","authors":"","doi":"10.1038/s44220-024-00327-w","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44220-024-00327-w","url":null,"abstract":"Analyses of functional MRI brain images of young people with depression revealed that altered brain connectivity associated with this disorder is circumscribed to specific networks and hub regions, including the default mode and attentional networks. The magnitude of these connectivity changes is a reliable predictor of depression symptom severity.","PeriodicalId":74247,"journal":{"name":"Nature mental health","volume":"2 10","pages":"1138-1139"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142435949","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Nga Yan Tse, Aswin Ratheesh, Ye Ella Tian, Colm G. Connolly, Christopher G. Davey, Saampras Ganesan, Ian H. Gotlib, Ben J. Harrison, Laura K. M. Han, Tiffany C. Ho, Alec J. Jamieson, Jaclyn S. Kirshenbaum, Yong Liu, Xiaohong Ma, Amar Ojha, Jiang Qiu, Matthew D. Sacchet, Lianne Schmaal, Alan N. Simmons, John Suckling, Dongtao Wei, Xiao Yang, Tony T. Yang, Robin F. H. Cash, Andrew Zalesky
{"title":"A mega-analysis of functional connectivity and network abnormalities in youth depression","authors":"Nga Yan Tse, Aswin Ratheesh, Ye Ella Tian, Colm G. Connolly, Christopher G. Davey, Saampras Ganesan, Ian H. Gotlib, Ben J. Harrison, Laura K. M. Han, Tiffany C. Ho, Alec J. Jamieson, Jaclyn S. Kirshenbaum, Yong Liu, Xiaohong Ma, Amar Ojha, Jiang Qiu, Matthew D. Sacchet, Lianne Schmaal, Alan N. Simmons, John Suckling, Dongtao Wei, Xiao Yang, Tony T. Yang, Robin F. H. Cash, Andrew Zalesky","doi":"10.1038/s44220-024-00309-y","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44220-024-00309-y","url":null,"abstract":"Major depressive disorder (MDD) represents the leading cause of mental health disability for young people worldwide but remains poorly understood. Previous neuroimaging research has indicated alterations in the connectivity of brain circuitry in youth MDD; however, findings have been inconsistent. This may relate to limitations in sample size and sample and methodological heterogeneity. In an effort to delineate robust neurobiological markers of youth MDD, we conducted a data-driven, connectome-wide mega-analysis of resting-state functional connectivity in 810 young individuals across 7 independent cohorts with a cross-sectional and case-control design. Compared with healthy comparison individuals (n = 370), youth MDD (n = 440) was associated with significant alterations in connectivity of densely connected brain areas (hubs), anchored in the default mode and dorsal and ventral attention networks. Critically, functional connectivity within these networks was significantly associated with depression symptom severity (r = –0.46 for hypoconnected regions and r = 0.53 for hyperconnected regions; both P values < 0.001), indicating the clinical relevance of functional connectivity alterations. Further, machine-learning analyses demonstrated that individual diagnostic status (AUC = 73.1%) and clinical severity (r = 0.14, P = 0.008) could be predicted on the basis of functional connectivity alone in unseen data using leave-one-site-out cross-validation. Together, our work represents an important first step toward robust characterization of the neurobiological basis of youth depression. We demonstrate the clinical relevance of brain connectivity in youth depression and highlight a critical role of functional hub regions, especially those localized to the default mode and dorsal and ventral attention networks in youth MDD. This mega-analysis of brain resting-state functional connectivity in young individuals with major depressive disorder scanned at six sites across four countries identified hub regions of the attentional and default mode networks as predictors of depression severity.","PeriodicalId":74247,"journal":{"name":"Nature mental health","volume":"2 10","pages":"1169-1182"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142435951","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Avshalom Caspi, Renate M. Houts, Terrie E. Moffitt, Leah S. Richmond-Rakerd, Matthew R. Hanna, Hans Fredrik Sunde, Fartein Ask Torvik
{"title":"A nationwide analysis of 350 million patient encounters reveals a high volume of mental-health conditions in primary care","authors":"Avshalom Caspi, Renate M. Houts, Terrie E. Moffitt, Leah S. Richmond-Rakerd, Matthew R. Hanna, Hans Fredrik Sunde, Fartein Ask Torvik","doi":"10.1038/s44220-024-00310-5","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44220-024-00310-5","url":null,"abstract":"How many primary-care encounters are devoted to mental-health conditions compared with physical-health conditions? Here we analyzed Norway’s nationwide administrative primary-care records, extracting all doctor–patient encounters occurring during 14 years (2006–2019) for the population aged 0–100 years. Encounters were recorded according to the International Classification of Primary Care. We compared the volume of mental-health encounters against volumes for conditions in multiple different body systems. A total of 4,875,722 patients generated 354,516,291 encounters. One in 9 encounters (11.7%) involved a mental-health condition. Only musculoskeletal conditions accounted for a greater share of primary-care physicians’ attention. The volume of mental-health encounters in primary care equaled encounters for infections, cardiovascular and respiratory conditions and exceeded encounters for pain, injuries, metabolic, digestive, skin, urological, reproductive and sensory conditions. Primary-care physicians frequently treat complex mental-health conditions in patients of every age. These physicians may have a more important role in preventing the escalation of mental-health problems than heretofore appreciated. The authors present findings of more than 350 million primary-care visits over 14 years in the Norwegian healthcare system, indicating that 1 in 9 encounters involved a mental-health condition and peaking at age 40 years (18.7%).","PeriodicalId":74247,"journal":{"name":"Nature mental health","volume":"2 10","pages":"1208-1216"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.nature.com/articles/s44220-024-00310-5.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142435947","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}