IMAGEN

A fundamental function of the brain is to evaluate the motivational and emotional significance of events and to adapt the behaviour of the organism accordingly. The processing of reinforcers, such as rewards and punishment and emotional cues, is a central component of our behaviour. Developmental processes in adolescence are critical for the establishment of behavioral control and normal adult brain function. These processes render the adolescent brain particularly vulnerable to disruption by drugs and stress, while simultaneously allowing for increased risk taking.
The IMAGEN study is the first multi-centre genetic-neuroimaging study aimed at identifying the genetic and neurobiological basis of individual variability in impulsivity, reinforcer sensitivity and emotional reactivity, and determining their predictive value for the development of frequent psychiatric disorders. The aim of this study is to find out what impact certain attitudes and thinking styles, as well as certain brain activity patterns and genetics characteristics, might have on teenage risk taking behaviour and mental health.
Comprehensive behavioral and neuropsychological characterisation, self-report questionnaires, functional and structural neuroimaging and genome-wide association analyses of 2,000 14-year-old adolescents are combined with functional genetics in animal and human models. The sample will be followed up longitudinally at age 16 years to investigate the predictive value of genetics and intermediate phenotypes for the development of mental disorders. Whereas the BMBF project focuses most notably on a longitudinal design and the development of the adolescent brain, the IMAGEN project is more engaged in genetically aspects and their correlation to brain functioning.

Researchers:
Thomas Hübner
Eva Mennigen
Kathrin Müller
Stephan Ripke
Sarah Rodehacke
Dirk Schmidt
Michael N. Smolka

Collaborations:
Please refer to the imagen website: http://www.imagen-europe.com/en/consortium.php

Funding:
European Commission Grant # 37286