Section on Immunology and Psychiatry Section Newsletter March 1, 2018

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1 Section on Immunology and Psychiatry Section Newsletter March 1, 2018 Neuroprogression in Psychiatric Disorders Angelos Halaris, MD Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine Brian E. Leonard, PhD Galway, Ireland Psychiatric and neurological disorders are chronic illnesses characterized by recurrence and relapses and progressively increasing dysfunction. The term neuroprogression refers to the temporal clinical progression in these disease entities. One of the main factors associated with neuroprogression is the frequency of mood episodes, but also in psychotic and cognitive disorders. The biological mechanisms underlying neuroprogression likely involve complex interactions among multiple genes and environmental factors leading to epigenetic changes resulting in impairment in several physiological systems. Neurobiological mechanisms of more pronounced neuroanatomical brain changes include a proinflammatory state, increased oxidative stress and a deficit in neuroprotection and neuroplasticity. Immune system dysfunction and brain-immune interactions are contributory factors in neurogression. Acute mood episodes have been associated with systemic toxicity, cognitive and functional impairment and biological changes. These effects are cumulative, being much more prominent after multiple episodes. Neuroprogression has important clinical implications, both in terms of early detection and prevention, as well as with respect to appropriate treatment strategies, given that early and late stages of the disorder may present different biological features and substrates. Therefore it is important to conduct longitudinal studies in evaluating the effects of illness progression on neuronal structures and psychoneuroimmune functions. These findings will have significant clinical implications by establishing means for monitoring the impact of treatments. The possibility to identify neuroanatomical, psychoneuroimmunological and neurotransmitter abnormalities along with genetic and epigenetic vulnerability will provide better insights into some of the potential pathophysiological mechanisms involved in illness progression, as well as better diagnosis, prognosis and long-term. In addition to the long-term outcome of such disorders, the epigenetic consequences of early childhood abuse on the subsequent adverse changes in brain function, which may prelude major psychiatric disorders, will also be considered. Based on their particular area of expertise and endeavor, the contributors to this volume critically review the recent advances in neuroprogression research and its relevance to the impact of chronic psychiatric and neurological disorders on brain structure and function. 1

A. Halaris and B.E. Leonard, Neuroprogression in Psychiatric Disorders. Karger Verlag, Basel, 2017.

2 A. Halaris and B.E. Leonard, Neuroprogression in Psychiatric Disorders. Karger Verlag, Basel, Several Section members authored or co-authored chapters in this monograph Activities during 2017 and in the first quarter of 2018 A. Election of new Section officers At the WPA World Congress that took place in Berlin October 2018, the following section members were elected: Angelos Halaris, MD reelected for a second term as Section Chair Karl Bechter, MD reelected for a second term as Section Vice Chair Michael Benros, MD elected as Section Secretary B. New Members We welcome the following new members to our Section: Benros Michael, MD, PhD Mental Health Centre Copenhagen Copenhagen University Hospital Copenhagen Denmark Gonda, Xenia MA PharmD PhD Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Semmelweis University 2

3 Laboratory of Suicide Prevention and Research, National Institute for Psychiatry and Addictology Budapest Hungary Kim Yong Ku, MD PhD Psychiatric Hospital Ansan Korea University Medical Centre Ansan South Korea Najjar Souhel M.D. Department of Neurology, Hofstra Northwell School of Medicine New York, NY Song, Cai, Ph.D. Professor Director, Institute for Marine Drugs and Nutrition, Director, Marine Medicine Develop. Cent. Shenzhen Institute, Guangdong Ocean University Guangdong China Su, Kuan-Pin Su, MD/Ph.D. College of Medicine, China Medical University (CMU) Mind-Body Interface Research Centre, China Medical University Hospital Taichung Taiwan Witte, L.D. de, MD PhD Department of Psychiatry Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai New York, NY C. Presentations at Scientific Meetings 1. At the 5 th International Congress on Neurobiology, Psychopharmacology & Treatment Guidance held in Greece, May 25-28, 2017 with WPA co-sponsorship the following presentations were given: a. A. Halaris. Role of growth factors in neurogenesis and depression. b. A. Halaris. Modulation of inflammation may arrest neuroprogression in treatment resistant bipolar depression 3

4 2. At the WPA World Congress of Psychiatry, Berlin, Germany, October 8-12, 2017: a. WPA Section Symposium titled: The Future of Psychoneuroimmunology: Promises and Challenges aa. A. Halaris chair (): Stratification and differentiation of mood disorders by means of inflammation and growth factor biomarkers bb. K. Bechter co-chair (Germany): Autoimmune encephalitis and mild encephalitis new challenges in psychoneuroimmunology cc. E. Haroon (): Use of magnetic resonance spectroscopy and multimodal brain imaging to map brain response to inflammation in mood disorders dd. F. Boufidou (Greece): Utility of the arachidonic acid cascade to establish treatment b. Special Symposium titled: Neuroprogression in Psychiatric Disorders: Detection, Management and Prevention aa. A. Halaris chair (): Pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic interventions to arrest neuroprogression bb. Brian Leonard co-chair (Ireland): Inflammation and kynurenine metabolites as a cause of neuroprogression in depression cc. Michael Berk (Australia): From neuroprogression to neuroprotection: the first episode as a treatment window dd. Flávio Kapczinski (Canada): Modelling neuronal maturation and neuroprogression in vitro 3. At the 14 th Psychoimmunology Expert Meeting, Schloss Reisensburg, Germany, March 22-28, 2018 a. WPA Section Symposium titled: Neuroinflammation in Affective Disorders Co-chairs: Angelos Halaris () and Norbert Mueller (Germany) aa. A. Halaris (): Low parasympathetic tone by heart rate variability and higher inflammation differentiates bipolar from major depression bb. K. Hoesl, M. Hilz, T. Hillemacher, L. Geiss (Germany): Autonomic cardiac modulation in depression and borderline personality disorder effects of inpatient care 4

5 cc. K. Hüfner, D. Fuchs, M. Blauth, B. Sperner-Unterweger (Austria): The association of acute and chronic somatic disease, depressive symptoms and neurotransmitter precursor monoamine levels dd. J.H. Meyer (Canada): Microglial imaging in affective disorders ee. K.J. Bär (Germany): Autoimmune dysfunctions in schizophrenia and affective disorders b. WPA Section Workshop titled: Neuroprogression, depression and disrupted brain metabolism Co-chairs: Angelos Halaris () and Cai Song (China) c. Presentations by WPA Section members: Individual presentations by K. Bechter, F. Dickerson, R. H. Yolken, S. Najjar, M. E. Benrós, A. Halaris, B. Bogerts, T. Falcone, E. Haroon, P. Brambilla Note: This newsletter is an informal newsletter published on-line only on the WPA website for the section members and WPA members who are interested in the field of Immunology and Psychiatry. Members are invited to contribute to the Newsletter for information of other section members and general readers of the association. Please submit your ideas to a section officer. Section members are also strongly encouraged to consider organizing symposia for the WPA regional congresses. Please submit your ideas to the section officers for assistance. 5

European Psychiatric Association (EPA) Council of National Psychiatric Associations (NPAs) Symposium

European Psychiatric Association (EPA) Council of National Psychiatric Associations (NPAs) Symposium Comorbidity: Challenges in Diagnosis and Treatment Hosted by the Psychiatric Association of Bosnia-Herzegovina