Psychology, radiology departments join forces at MSU to study psychosis
Researchers from Michigan State University (MSU) in East Lansing plan to use fMRI scans to investigate brain movements that may be related to psychosis. The research is funded by a $1.5 million, four-year grant from the National Institutes of Health.
Katharine Thakkar, PhD, a neuroscientist from the department of psychology at MSU, will study fMRI scans of study participants with help from colleagues in the school’s psychology and radiology departments.
According to Thakkar, “faulty signaling” of corollary discharge signals in the brains of patients with schizophrenia could lead to psychotic thoughts. Patients with bipolar disorder will also be studied.
“We believe these corollary discharge signals are what allow us to know that ‘I did something’ versus ‘someone did something to me,’” Thakkar said in a statement posted on MSU’s website. “This study may allow us to make great strides in our understanding of the specific mechanisms of these symptoms of schizophrenia that have been the trickiest to explain at the level of physiology.”
In the same statement, Thakkar spoke about her team’s goals as they dive into this new research.
“The immediate goal of the project is to understand the biological processes underlying the self-related disturbances that characterize psychosis,” she said. “Long-term goals include using this oculomotor approach to identify novel treatment targets and to aid in early identification of people who will later experience psychotic symptoms.”
More of Thakkar’s work in this area can also be found in a recent analysis published in Trends in Cognitive Sciences.
Michael has more than 18 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.