Objective Psychotic disorders are amongst the most severe mental disorders. However, current treatments have failed to reduce disability or change the prospects for recovery for patients with a psychotic disorder. In this project, I will investigate an entirely novel therapy, targeting the core vulnerability profile of altered person-environment interactions underlying psychosis, specifically increased stress-reactivity and reduced motivated and goal-directed behaviour. My colleagues and I have developed a digital apparatus, the ‘PsyMate’, allowing real-time interventions for patients with severe mental illness. In this project, the PsyMate will be used to (1)reduce psychotic and emotional reactivity to stress with “detachment and acceptance” exercises in real life situations, and (2)improve motivated and goal-directed behaviour with real-time behavioural activation therapy. In a randomized controlled trial, I will investigate whether this self-management therapy, conducted outside the office in the patient’s real life, is capable of reducing psychotic reactivity to stress and of improving motivated behaviour in participants with an at-risk mental state for psychosis.In order to understand the impact of this intervention in terms of brain plasticity and prediction of response, I will use an experimental medicine approach to investigate the neural effects of the intervention. I will focus particularly on prefrontal dopamine-reactivity as the brain mechanism mediating altered person-environment interactions. In the current study, I will examine prefrontal dopamine reactivity towards positive as well as stressful negative events as the biological process mediating underlying motivated behaviour and environmental reactivity. Furthermore, I will investigate whether a self-management therapy specifically focused at aberrant person-environment interactions alters brain plasticity at the level of prefrontal dopaminergic neurotransmission in persons at risk for psychosis. Fields of science medical and health sciencesclinical medicinepsychiatry Programme(s) FP7-IDEAS-ERC - Specific programme: "Ideas" implementing the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007 to 2013) Topic(s) ERC-SG-LS7 - Applied life sciences, biotechnology and bioengineering: agricultural, animal, fishery, forestry/food sciences; biotechnology, chemical biology, genetic engineering, synthetic biology, industrial biosciences; environmental biotechnology. Call for proposal ERC-2012-StG_20111109 See other projects for this call Funding Scheme ERC-SG - ERC Starting Grant Host institution KATHOLIEKE UNIVERSITEIT LEUVEN EU contribution € 724 682,69 Address OUDE MARKT 13 3000 Leuven Belgium See on map Region Vlaams Gewest Prov. Vlaams-Brabant Arr. Leuven Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Administrative Contact Stijn Delaure (Dr.) Principal investigator Inez Yvonne Ronald Germeys (Prof.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Total cost No data Beneficiaries (3) Sort alphabetically Sort by EU Contribution Expand all Collapse all KATHOLIEKE UNIVERSITEIT LEUVEN Belgium EU contribution € 724 682,69 Address OUDE MARKT 13 3000 Leuven See on map Region Vlaams Gewest Prov. Vlaams-Brabant Arr. Leuven Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Administrative Contact Stijn Delaure (Dr.) Principal investigator Inez Yvonne Ronald Germeys (Prof.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Total cost No data UNIVERSITAETSKLINIKUM AACHEN Participation ended Germany EU contribution € 161 686,18 Address Pauwelsstrasse 30 52074 Aachen See on map Region Nordrhein-Westfalen Köln Städteregion Aachen Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Administrative Contact Volker Legewie (Mr.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Total cost No data UNIVERSITEIT MAASTRICHT Participation ended Netherlands EU contribution € 612 527,13 Address MINDERBROEDERSBERG 4 6200 MD Maastricht See on map Region Zuid-Nederland Limburg (NL) Zuid-Limburg Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Administrative Contact Laurent Louwies (Mr.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Total cost No data
