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VIA

A national longitudinal study of 522 children born to parents with or without a diagnosis of either schizophrenia or bipolar disorder.

  • Funded by: Innovationsfonden

VIA11 Logo                       VIA15 logo 181x118

 

The Danish High Risk and Resilience Study – VIA (viaundersoegelsen.org) – is a national longitudinal study of 522 children at age seven (VIA7) born to parents with or without a diagnosis of either schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. “VIA” is the Latin word for road and describes the overall purpose of the project to investigate the developmental path of children with vulnerabilities.

The overarching hypothesis is that schizophrenia and bipolar disorder are neurodevelopmental disorders with significant genetic liabilities and influencing environmental exposures during pregnancy and early life. Approximately 55% of all children born to parents suffering from schizophrenia or bipolar disorder will experience some kind of mental illness during their lifetime. Increasing our knowledge of both the risk and the protective factors associated with psychiatric disorders is important in identifying the most vulnerable children and in guiding the mental health services towards early intervention and health promotion. The VIA 11 and VIA 15 study assesses the same cognitive, social, emotional, clinical, and behavioral measures at age 11 and 15 as in the first study of the same cohort at age seven (VIA 7). In VIA 11 and 15 children are also assessed with anatomical and functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and electroencephalography (EEG). Brain mapping in the VIA study is carried out in collaboration with the Center for Functional Integrative Neuroscience, Aarhus University (CFIN). The brain imaging protocol includes anatomical MRI and functional MRI probing cognitive control, social cognition, and the reward system. These cognitive dimensions are often already affected in early stages of mental illnesses. Additionally, we use EEG (DRCMR) and MEG (CFIN) to probe processes such as cognitive control, prediction errors as well as oscillatory activity in the gramma range. Our multimodal imaging approach combined with a multidimensional assessment of cognition, physical activity, environment, and genetics, will help differentiate factors that veer children on paths to health or to illness. We hope to take the next step and retest the same cohort at age 19.

 

VIA 15 billede 1

 

 

 

DRCMR Members

Melissa Larsen

DRCMR Coordinator

Hartwig R. Siebner

William Frans Christiaan Baaré

Line Korsgaard Johnsen

Show all group members (12)

External Partners

Principal Investigators

  • Prof. Merete Nordentoft (Project leader, Mental Health Centre Copenhagen)
  • Prof. Ole Mors (Project leader, Psychosis Research Unit, Aarhus University Hospital)
  • Anne Amalie Elgaard Thorup (Project leader, Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen)
  • Jens Richardt Møllegaard Jepsen (Project leader, Psychiatric Center Glostrup)
  • Vibeke Fuglsang Bliksted (Project leader, Aarhus University Hospital)

The Research Unit at Mental Health Center, Copenhagen

  • Line Carmichael (Research Coordinator)
  • Maja Gregersen (Research Assistant, PhD student)
  • Julie Marie Brandt (Research Assistant, PhD student)
  • Mette Berg Christiansen (Research Assistant, PhD student)
  • Anne Søndergaard (Research Assistant, PhD student)
  • Åsa Kremer Prøsch (Research Assistant)
  • Marianne Melau (Post-doc)
  • Sinnika Birkehøj Rohd (Research Assistant)
  • Martin Wilms (Research Assistant)

CfIN, Aarhus University

  • Prof. Leif Østergaard (CfIN coordinator)
  • Torben Lund (CfIN coordinator, PhD)
  • Henriette Stadsgaard (Research Assistant)
  • Christina Bruun Knudsen (Research Assistant)
  • Lotte Veddum (Research Assistant, PhD student)
  • Anna Krogh Andreassen (Research Assistant)

Department of Psychology, Copenhagen University

  • Signe Vangkilde (Ass. Prof.)

International Partners

CHUV, Lausanne, Switzerland

Professor Kerstin Plessen


 UMC Utrecht, The Netherlands

Assistant Professor Bob Oranje