Mental health week 2015: Schizophrenia and mirror system function

MAPrc student Dr Sophie Andrews supervised by Dr Kate Hoy, Professor Paul Fitzgerald, and Dr Richard Thomson recently authored a study which looked at patients with schizophrenia and whether their mirror neuron systems are impaired.

Dysfunctional mirror neuron systems have been proposed to contribute to the social cognitive deficits observed in schizophrenia. A few studies have explored mirror systems in schizophrenia using various techniques such as TMS (levels of motor resonance) or EEG (levels of mu suppression), with mixed results.

This study used a novel multimodal approach (eg: concurrent TMS and EEG) to further investigate mirror systems and social cognition in schizophrenia. Nineteen individuals with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder and 19 healthy controls participated.

The study found that the schizophrenia group showed significant deficits in facial affect recognition and higher level theory of mind, compared to healthy controls. A significant positive relationship was revealed between mu suppression and motor resonance for the overall sample, indicating concurrent validity of these measures. Levels of mu suppression and motor resonance were not significantly different between groups.

These findings indicate that in stable outpatients with schizophrenia, mirror system functioning is intact. Therefore, their social cognitive difficulties may be caused by alternative pathophysiology.

Reference (full study): Andrews SC, Enticott PG, Hoy KE, Thomson RH, Fitzgerald PB. No evidence for mirror system dysfunction in schizophrenia from a multimodal TMS/EEG study. Psychiatry Research 228:3,pp.431–440, 30 Aug 2015.

Professor Suresh Sundram and psychiatric neuroscience: Find out more on 30 Sep 2015

Professor Suresh Sundram at Monash Health

The School of Clinical Sciences at Monash Health welcomes Professor Suresh Sundram, Unit Head for adult psychiatry at Monash Medical Centre. Prof Sundram will be speaking at the forthcoming 30 Sep Translational Research symposium hosted by Central Clinical School. See detail below.

Prof Sundram plans to establish a psychiatric neuroscience research program in the Department of Psychiatry at SCS, focussing on psychotic disorders. “I have a particular interest in schizophrenia, with a broad translational approach,” he says.

“We study cellular and molecular aspects of post-mortem human and animal brain relevant to psychotic disorders; animal behaviour studies using transgenic models of psychosis; and biomarker studies in clinical samples using genetic, protein and electrophysiological measures.”

Prof Sundram will also establish a clinical trials research group evaluating new treatments for these disorders. He says, “I hope to build a unique translational research program in psychotic disorders that utilises clinical and biomarker data to understand the molecular bases of psychotic disorders, and in turn generate novel treatments and diagnostics for this patient group".

Of his decision to join Monash, Prof Sundram says, “It was the opportunity to integrate my research vision into one space and the exceptional platform technologies that are available through the Monash Health Translation Precinct.”

Beyond his research and clinical work, Prof Sundram has a strong interest in asylum seeker mental health and mental health service system development in low and middle income countries. “In addition to running a pro bono psychiatric clinic for asylum seekers, I provide and have provided expert advice to national governments and human rights and non-government organisations.”

Prior to joining Monash Health and Monash University, Suresh was Director of Clinical Services for Northern Area Mental Health Services, Head of Molecular Psychopharmacology and the Psychotropic Drug Advisory Service at the Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, and the Director of the Northern Psychiatry Research Centre.

Prof Sundram will be speaking at the Central Clinical School's Translational Research Symposium Wednesday, 30 September 2015, on the topic of "Evidence for biomarker development in schizophrenia sub-groups".

All welcome, see details:

• Time: 8.00 am registration for 9.00 am start. Drinks and canapes from 6-8 pm
• Venue: AMREP Lecture Theatre, adjacent to the BakerIDI Institute at 85 Commercial Road, Melbourne 3004, 200 metres east of the main Alfred Hospital entrance. See map.
• Cost: Free
• RSVP by Friday 25 September for catering purposes
• Enquiries: Catherine.Wong@monash.edu ph +61 3 9903 0640