Key mechanisms of affective disorders : CRC/TRR 393 project on mechanisms of emotion regulation, expectation, social cognition, and cognitive-behavioral rhythms.

Journal: Der Nervenarzt
Published Date: Nov 10, 2025

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Although affective disorders are a major driver of disability worldwide, there is a lack of understanding of the mechanisms and modulating factors involved in the long-term disease trajectories. OBJECTIVES: Our goal is to determine key cognitive-emotional mechanisms in the domains of emotion regulation, expectation, social cognition, and cognitive-behavioral rhythms and their neurobiological correlates in the progression of affective disorders, including recurrences and remissions, chronicity, and functional decline. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In CRC/TRR 393, we will pursue a multi-level investigation of these four domains. Within the German Mental Health Cohort (GEMCO), these mechanisms and their influence on disease trajectories will be investigated longitudinally. Parallelized human and animal projects will enable an in-depth characterization of their neurobiological correlates. RESULTS: By leveraging recent advancement in the modeling of complex, dynamic systems and machine learning techniques, we will be able to integrate human and animal data on the key cognitive-emotional mechanisms and their interplay with stressors and other modifying factors across disease trajectories. CONCLUSION: Gaining a deeper understanding of the cognitive-emotional mechanisms in the progression of affective disorders will help to predict symptom changes and course of illness as well as to identify key targets of intervention.

Authors

  • Philipp Kanske
    Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, TUD Dresden University of Technology, Chemnitzer Str. 46, 01187, Dresden, Germany. [email protected].
  • Nina Alexander
    Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Marburg, Germany; Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior (CMBB), University of Marburg, Germany.
  • Nadine Bernhardt
    Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
  • Stefan Ehrlich
    Division of Psychological and Social Medicine and Developmental Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Germany.
  • Joachim Gross
    Institute for Biomagnetism and Biosignalanalysis, University of Münster, 48149 Münster, Germany; Otto Creutzfeldt Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Münster, 48149 Münster, Germany.
  • Carsten Culmsee
    Institute of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacy, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany.
  • Elisabeth J Leehr
    Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Germany.
  • Andreas Jansen
    Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Marburg, Germany; Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior (CMBB), University of Marburg, Germany; Core-Facility Brainimaging, Faculty of Medicine, University of Marburg, Germany.
  • Kay Jüngling
    Institute of Physiology I, University of Münster, Münster, Germany.
  • Philipp Ritter
    Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
  • Benjamin Straube
    Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany.
  • Ida Wessing
    Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Muenster, Muenster, Germany.
  • Tilo Kircher
    Department of Psychiatry, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany.
  • Markus Wöhr
    Center for Mind, Brain, and Behavior (CMBB), Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Germany.

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