The Institute for Medical Research (IMR) is part of a new international project that will investigate depression trajectories and the factors associated with more severe and persistent courses of the disorder over the next five years.
The project, Forecasting Depression Trajectories: Early Network-Guided Prediction of Severe and Persistent Disease Courses, is funded by Wellcome, a global charitable foundation, and led by Professor Jonathan Repple from Goethe University Frankfurt.
Researchers will use large longitudinal datasets to develop dynamic, network-based models and improve the prediction of individual depression trajectories. The goal is to better identify patterns associated with an increased risk of severe and persistent illness and help lay the groundwork for more precise, personalized treatment approaches.
Dr. Jovana Bjekić, together with the team from the IMR Group for Neuroscience, leads the work package that integrates computational modeling with experimental validation and the development of methodologies for the future clinical application of personalized transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) treatment for depression.
The project will also include a pilot study comparing the neurobiological effects of a network-guided rTMS approach with standard TMS treatment. Researchers will examine changes in functional brain networks and clinical measures, alongside outcomes related to patients’ daily functioning and subjective experience.
By integrating large-scale data analysis, computational modeling, and experimental validation, the project aims to advance our understanding of how depression develops over time and contribute to more precise approaches to its treatment.
