Project Summary

P.J. Cowen, M.D., FRCPsych (Distinguished Investigator 2003) of Warneford Hospital, will use proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) to measure the effects of serotonin (5-HT) manipulation on GABA concentrations in the living human brain.  Development of this methodology will allow him to answer crucial questions regarding the interactions of these two key neurotransmitters in the pathophysiology of mood disorders and the therapeutic effects of anti-depressant treatments.  He will study the role of serotonin (5-HT) pathways in major depression and its treatment.  He will use the data from this study to guide his clinical investigations for his research program at the University of Oxford, with the most useful pharmacological manipulations used to study the interactions of 5-HT with GABA in depressed patients and those at-risk for depression.  This study will allow Dr. Cowen to better understand how 5-HT pathways interact with crucial elements of mood-related cortical circuitry.

Program Area: MOOD DISORDERS\Depression (Unipolar)

Search Again