Forschung

The "Adult ADHD and Reward Dysregulation" research group focuses on unraveling the complex neurobiological mechanisms that underpin impulsivity and reward dysregulation in psychiatric disorders. While our primary emphasis is on adult ADHD, we also investigate other conditions with dopaminergic involvement, such as schizophrenia. Our mission extends beyond traditional boundaries, exploring the intricate interplay between reward processing deficits and their far-reaching effects on cognitive and emotional functions.

Central to our approach is the utilization of diverse methodologies, including innovative pharmacological fMRI studies conducted in collaboration with the LOEWE DYNAMIC center. These studies allow us to probe the dopaminergic system and other neurotransmitter pathways, providing crucial insights into brain function and potential therapeutic targets.

Intriguingly, our research also started to draw parallels between neurobiology and artificial intelligence. We're exploring the application of Large Language Models, which, like the dopaminergic system's role in salience estimation, engage in semantic prediction. 

By leveraging these multifaceted approaches, we aim to contribute significantly to the field of precision psychiatry, ultimately improving patient outcomes through more targeted and effective interventions.

LOEWE-Center DYNAMIC Project 3.2: Pharmacological Modulation of Brain and Psychological Networks

As part of the LOEWE-Center DYNAMIC, our research group is engaged in an innovative project that bridges psychiatry, psychology, computer science, and machine learning. The overarching goal of this interdisciplinary collaboration is to enhance our understanding of mental disorders and develop novel treatment options.

In subproject 3.2, based at the Department of Psychiatry in Frankfurt, we are investigating how pharmacological interventions can modulate brain and psychological networks. This study involves administering single doses of specific pharmacological agents (such as dopamine agonists or ketamine) to healthy volunteers. By doing so, we aim to observe and analyze how these interventions affect brain function and psychological network dynamics.

Key Aspects of the Study:

1. Pharmacological Provocation: Controlled administration of targeted drugs to induce temporary changes in brain function.
2. Multi-modal Assessment: Utilizing state-of-the-art neuroimaging techniques, including functional MRI and magnetoencephalography (MEG).
3. Network Analysis: Applying advanced statistical methods to analyze the perturbation of brain and psychological networks.
4. Translational Approach: Bridging basic neuroscience with clinical applications to inform more precise diagnostic and therapeutic strategies in psychiatry.

Collaboration:

This project is conducted in close cooperation with the junior research group at the Ernst Strüngmann Institute in Frankfurt, leveraging expertise in neuroscience and advanced neuroimaging techniques.

Significance:

By understanding how networks can be modulated pharmacologically, we aim to develop more targeted and effective approaches to diagnosis and treatment in psychiatry. This research has the potential to significantly advance our ability to tailor interventions to individual patients, moving closer to the goal of precision psychiatry.

For more information, please visit the project website: https://www.dynamic-center.net/

This project is part of the broader LOEWE-Center DYNAMIC initiative, which brings together researchers from the Justus Liebig University Giessen, Goethe University Frankfurt, Technical University Darmstadt, the Leibniz Institute for Research and Information in Education (DIPF), and the Ernst Strüngmann Institute for Neuroscience, under the leadership of the Philipps University of Marburg.

Impulsivity Biomarkers Study:

This double-blind, randomized, parallel group, placebo-controlled clinical trial aims to evaluate the effects of atomoxetin on impulsivity in behavioral laboratory tasks in adult ADHD patients. The study investigates various methods to measure the impact of atomoxetin on impulsive behavior in young adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

Project Description: Impulsivity is a core symptom of ADHD, defined as the tendency to make hasty decisions without adequate forethought, often leading to ill-considered and rash actions. While there is broad consensus on the clinical significance of impulsivity, the question of how to measure it remains controversial.

The Impulsivity Biomarkers Study examines whether and to what extent the active investigational product atomoxetin (a medication for treating ADHD) reduces impulsivity in various behavioral tasks compared to a placebo after single and repeated administration.

The goal of our research group's Impulsivity Biomarkers Study is to investigate how impulsive behavior in young adults with ADHD can be best captured and which methods can measure improvements in impulsivity following treatment.

Collaborating Partners: Five study centers in Germany are involved in conducting the study.

Duration: 2023 – 2024

Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05278104

Funding: Boehringer Ingelheim

SPEAK-SAFE Project:

As part of the ATHENE-PADAM research area in Cybersecurity, in collaboration with TU Darmstadt:

"SPEAK-SAFE: Secure Processing of Electronic Audio for Knowledge in Suicide Assessment and Federated Evaluation"

Project Description: This project aims to create the first German psychiatric text corpus for evaluating AI-NLP and develop an NLP model to optimize diagnostic processes in psychiatric, psychosomatic, and psychotherapeutic care. The project involves collecting therapist-patient dialogues during therapeutic sessions, with a focus on robust privacy measures including data anonymization and federated learning approaches.

Trial Registration: DRKS00027878 (registered on 02/02/2022)

• Functional magnetic resonance imaging (resting state measurements, special paradigms for reward delay, etc.) in collaboration with the Brain Imaging Center (BIC) Frankfurt
• Pharmacological provocation using dopaminergic or other substances
• Clinical trials (IIT or industry collaboration)
• Genetic studies (e.g., GWAS and PRS studies)
• Online questionnaires on ADHD, eating behavior, personality traits, and creativity
• Anthropometric measures (body composition and fitness test)
• Computer-aided tests of concentration (CPT, partly with motion analysis)
• Natural language processing (NLP)

• IMpACT
• Athene PADAM 
• ENIGMA 

Mayer JS, Hees K, Medda J, et al (2018) Bright light therapy versus physical exercise to prevent co-morbid depression and obesity in adolescents and young adults with attention-deficit / hyperactivity disorder: Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial. Trials. doi.org/10.1186/s13063-017-2426-1      Eine Beschreibung der CoCA-PROUD-Studie

Grimm O, Kittel-Schneider S, Reif A (2018) Recent developments in the genetics of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 72:654–672. doi.org/10.1111/pcn.12673 Überblick über Genetik der ADHS

Grimm, O., van Rooij, D., Tshagharyan, A., Yildiz, D., Leonards, J., Elgohary, A., ... & Reif, A. (2021). Effects of comorbid disorders on reward processing and connectivity in adults with ADHD. Translational psychiatry, 11(1), 1-7.

Grimm, O., Nägele, M., Küpper-Tetzel, L., de Greck, M., Plichta, M., & Reif, A. (2021). No effect of a dopaminergic modulation fMRI task by amisulpride and L-DOPA on reward anticipation in healthy volunteers. Psychopharmacology, 238(5), 1333-1342.

• Senior attending psychiatrist PD Dr. med. Oliver Grimm
• cand. med. Hannah Rößler
• cand. med. Valentin Dutsch
• cand. med. Jan Leonards
• cand. med. Marielou Lüderwaldt
• cand. med. Sofia Arampatzi 
• cand. med. Ziba Mossawaty , Dipl.Inf.(FH) 
• cand. rer. nat. Lara Hamzehpour, MSc
• cand. rer. nat. Christopher Landau, MSc
• Annika Schäfer (student research assistant)
• Delia Schmidt (student research assistant)
• Sarah Back (student research assistant)
• Sophie Winter (student research assistant)

Within the framework of the projects mentioned above, internships or theses in psychology, medicine, neurosciences and related subjects are possible (BSc, MSc, Dr. med., Dr.rer.med., PhD). When working with patients, a solid knowledge of German is essential (at least B2-language level), basic knowledge in statistics and computer skills are useful when analysing and maintaining data sets, but not absolutely necessary. If you are interested in working with us, please send a short letter of motivation and a curriculum vitae in tabular form to oliver.grimm@unimedizin-ffm.de.