In order to showcase the work we do in Pattern-Cog, European project funded by ERA PerMed, we caught up with Christian Gaser from the Department of Neurology and Department of Psychiatry at Jena University Hospital, and asked him a few questions about his work, expectations and challenges.
- Tell us a bit about the institution you work for
I am an Associate Professor of Computational Neuroscience/Neuroimaging at the University of Jena in Germany. My research focuses on developing advanced computational tools for the analysis of structural brain data, with a particular emphasis on brain structure analysis. One of my key contributions to the field has been the development of several software tools, including the widely used Computational Anatomy Toolbox.
At Jena University Hospital, I have a double affiliation with the Department of Neurology and the Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy. Both departments use advanced neuroimaging techniques, such as MRI, to investigate the structural and functional organisation of the brain in both healthy individuals and those with neurological and psychiatric disorders. By understanding the neural basis of brain structure, we aim to develop effective treatments for a wide range of disorders, including depression, schizophrenia, and dementia.
Recently, the Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy at Jena University Hospital was selected as one of six centers for mental health in Germany, in collaboration with networks in Magdeburg and Halle. This selection reflects the outstanding reputation and expertise of the department and its partners. It highlights the critical role that institutions like Jena University Hospital play in advancing our understanding of mental illness and developing effective treatments.
As a researcher in this field, I am excited about the impact that this selection will have on mental health research in Germany and beyond. It is a significant achievement that underscores the importance of ongoing research and innovation in mental health, and I am proud to be affiliated with an institution that is leading the way in this field.
- What is the focus of your work within the Pattern-Cog project?
My work within the Pattern-Cog project builds on more than ten years of research on the BrainAGE method that we developed. BrainAGE uses machine learning techniques to predict an individual’s age based on their brain structure, which has been used in numerous studies to investigate the effects of aging on brain structure and function. In the Pattern-Cog project, our goal is to expand on this idea by building a large normative database of healthy subjects to identify personalised aging patterns for all regions of the brain.
The idea is similar to growth curves of head size for children during development, but we apply it to local brain structure, with a particular focus on the hippocampus, a key structure in aging and dementia. Our aim is to estimate and provide personalised aging patterns for all regions of the brain. This will not only improve our understanding of the underlying aging mechanism but also enable the development and validation of a personalised medicine methodology for the detection of the earliest signs of impending cognitive decline and markers.
- What do you enjoy the most about your work on the Pattern-Cog project? What do you find most challenging?
I really enjoy working on the Pattern-Cog project because it allows me to collaborate with highly skilled researchers from different fields, which brings fresh and diverse perspectives on how to tackle complex problems related to aging and cognitive decline. Specifically, I appreciate the opportunity to work with my long-time collaborator Jussi Tohka from the University of Eastern Finland and Bryan Strange from Madrid, with whom we just finished a study on super agers. This project enables me to build on that work and continue to explore the effects of aging on brain structure and function.
One of the most exciting aspects of this project is the possibility to develop personalised medicine methodology for the detection of the earliest signs of cognitive decline and to enable early intervention strategies. The most challenging part is to bring all the different expertise together, from machine learning, clinical neuroscience, dementia intervention/prevention, imaging, legal and ethical aspects, and public involvement activities, and find a way to make it all work together seamlessly. However, I believe that this collaboration and critical mass will ultimately lead to new discoveries and significant advances in the field of neuroimaging and aging research.
- What are your expectations and what do you think is the importance of the project for the wider field?
In addition to this overarching goal, I believe the Pattern-Cog project has the potential to make several significant contributions to the wider field. First, the creation of a large normative database of brain aging patterns in healthy individuals could be a valuable resource for future research on cognitive decline and dementia. This database could be used to develop and validate new biomarkers and diagnostic tools for identifying individuals at risk of developing cognitive decline and dementia.
Second, the project’s focus on personalised interventions is an important shift away from the one-size-fits-all approach currently used in many dementia prevention strategies. By developing personalised interventions based on an individual’s specific brain aging pattern, we have the potential to improve the effectiveness of dementia prevention and treatment strategies and reduce the burden of the disease on individuals and society.
Third, the Pattern-Cog project brings together a multidisciplinary team of experts from across Europe, including researchers from neuroscience, machine learning, clinical practice, legal and ethical aspects, and patient advocacy groups like Alzheimer Europe. This diverse expertise will enable us to approach the problem of cognitive decline and dementia from many different angles and ensure that our solutions are practical, ethical, and effective.
Overall, I believe that the Pattern-Cog project has the potential to make a significant contribution to the wider field of neuroscience and ultimately improve the lives of individuals at risk of developing cognitive decline and dementia.
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Follow the project to stay up-to-date about project’s activities: https://linktr.ee/patterncog
