Roel Mocking

Fatty Acids in Context: Integrating Neuroendocrinology, Neuroimaging and Neuropsychology to Explain Recurrent Depression Vulnerability (FASCINATED)

The brain is mainly built up from lipids, which have important structural and functional roles in its functioning, e.g. major constituents of neuronal cell membranes and myelin. Using neuroimaging, we therefore aim to investigate the implications of disturbances in lipid metabolism observed in recovered recurrently depressed patients on brain structure and functioning, e.g. DTI white matter integrity. Integrating lipidomics and neuroimaging might shed new light on the pathophysiology of recurrent depression, and thereby improve prevention of its associated increasing burden of disease.