The SFB/TRR 393 Collaborative Research Centre: trajectories of affective disorders – Cognitive–emotional mechanisms of symptom change = Sonderforschungsbereich SFB/TRR 393: Verlaufsformen affektiver Erkrankungen – Kognitiv-emotionale Mechanismen von Symptomveränderungen

Major depressive disorder (MDD) and bipolar disorder (BD) are prevalent and disabling psychiatric disorders, often following a chronic and relapsing course. The Collaborative Research Centre 393 (SFB/TRR 393), funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG), aims to identify trajectories and symptom changes in MDD and BD, with a focus on cognitive–emotional mechanisms and their neurobiological underpinnings.

Our research initiative seeks to (1) identify individual trajectories of recurrences and remissions in affective disorder (AD), (2) determine cognitive–emotional mechanisms and neurobiological correlates of acute symptom changes, and (3) probe mechanism-based interventions.

These goals will be pursued through a threefold approach: (1) Continuous mobile assessment in a prospective cohort: We will combine in-depth clinical characterization with multilevel neuroimaging, biobanking, and -omics analyses in 1500 AD patients and healthy participants over a 2-year follow-up (German Mental Health Cohort, GEMCO) at three time points. Participants will be drawn from existing DFG FOR 2107 and BMBF Early-BipoLife cohorts (Domain A). (2) Identification of key cognitive-emotional mechanisms: We will study emotion regulation, expectation, social cognition, and cognitive–behavioural rhythms, and their neurobiological correlates mediating symptom changes, using parallel human studies and animal experiments (Domain B). ... mehr(3) Targeted interventions: We will probe key cognitive–emotional mechanisms in relation to recurrences and remissions (Domain C).

Over a 12-year period, we will elucidate environmental, psychosocial, and (neuro)biological predictors of illness course; cognitive–emotional and neurobehavioural mechanisms underlying real-life recurrences and remissions; and targeted, mechanism-based interventions.