Using Cognitive Neuroscience to Improve Future Treatment of Depression and Anxiety

Basic neuroscientific research on the mechanisms underlying cognitive, affective, and social processes have been slow in penetrating real-world psychology/psychiatry clinics. This is a missed opportunity for maximizing and advancing our understanding of core patterns of psychopathology and treatment response in neuropsychiatric disorders. This series will bring together members from the neuroscience, medical, and psychiatry/psychology communities to translate basic science findings into real-world clinical practice. 

Target Audience

This program was designed for physicians, nurses, nurse practitioners, psychologists, and social workers. 

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this activity, participants should be able to:

  • Recognize the role of cognitive biases in depression and in response to antidepressant drug treatment
  • Reflect on our ability to translate lab based mechanistic studies into the clinic and ideas about how to improve translation.
  • Describe the neural circuitry underpinning changes in cognitive bias with treatment

Suggested Additional Reading

  • Harmer, C.J., Duman, R.S., Cowen, P.J., 2017. How do antidepressants work? New perspectives for refining future treatment approaches. Lancet Psychiatry. 4(5), 409-418. doi: 10.1016/S2215-0366(17)30015-9.
  • Godlewska, B.R., Browning, M., Norbury, R., Cowen, P.J., Harmer, C.J., 2016. Early changes in emotional processing as a marker of clinical response to SSRI treatment indepression. Transl Psychiatry. 6(11), e957.
  • Godlewska, B.R., Norbury, R., Selvaraj, S., Cowen, P.J., Harmer, C.J., 2012. Short-term SSRI treatment normalises amygdala hyperactivity in depressed patients.Psychol Med. 42(12), 2609-261
 
Course summary
Available credit: 
  • 1.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™
    The University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
  • 1.00 ANCC
    UPMC Provider Unit is accredited as a provider of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation
  • 1.00 Attendance
Course opens: 
02/25/2021
Course expires: 
02/25/2024

Presenter:

Catherine Harmer, DPhil, MA, DipLATHE

Dr. Harmer is Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Oxford. She is an experimental psychologist and neuroscientist with an innovative program of translational research that examines the cognitive mechanisms underlying treatment effects in psychiatry. As Director of the Psychopharmacology and Emotional Research Lab (PERL), she employs a range of methodologies, including neuropsychological testing, transcranical magnetic stimulation and functional neuroimaging with fMRI and PET in healthy and clinical populations. Her program of research is an excellent example of how research from basic cognitive neuroscience can be rapidly translated to real-world clinical interventions. More information about her exciting research, as well as links to her publications, can be found here: https://www.psych.ox.ac.uk/team/catherine-harmer

Planning Committee: 
Judy Callan, PhD RN
Rudi De Raedt, PhD
Angela Fang, PhD
Ryan Jane Jacoby, Ph.D.
Maria Kryza-Lacombe, PhD
Andrew Peckham, PhD
Greg Siegle, PhD
Marlene Strege,PhD
Michael Thase, MD

Conflict of Interest Disclosure:

Dr. Harmer disclosed her consultancy with P1 vital Ltd, J&J, Ludbeck, Sage Therapeutics and Pfizer.

Dr. Jacoby receives grant/research support from the National Institute of Mental Health under award number K23 MH120351. She also receives salary and research support from the International OCD Foundation, the Charles A. King Trust Postdoctoral Research Fellowship Program (Bank of America, N.A., Co-Trustees), the Harvard University Mind Brain Behavior Initiative, the Harvard University Department of Psychiatry Livingston Fellowship Award, and the Harvard University Pershing Square Fund for Research on the Foundations of Human Behavior.

No other planners, members of the planning committee, speakers, presenters, authors, content reviewers and/or anyone else in a position to control the content of this education activity have relevant financial relationships to disclose.

Disclaimer Statement

The information presented at this CME program represents the views and opinions of the individual presenters, and does not constitute the opinion or endorsement of, or promotion by, the UPMC Center for Continuing Education in the Health Sciences, UPMC / University of Pittsburgh Medical Center or Affiliates and University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.  Reasonable efforts have been taken intending for educational subject matter to be presented in a balanced, unbiased fashion and in compliance with regulatory requirements. However, each program attendee must always use his/her own personal and professional judgment when considering further application of this information, particularly as it may relate to patient diagnostic or treatment decisions including, without limitation, FDA-approved uses and any off-label uses.

 

In support of improving patient care, the University of Pittsburgh is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

The University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine designates this enduring material for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 CreditsTM. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

The maximum number of hours awarded for this Continuing Nursing Education activity is 1.0 contact hours.

Other health care professionals will receive a certificate of attendance confirming the number of contact hours commensurate with the extent of participation in this activity.

All presenters disclosure of relevant financial relationships with any entity producing, marketing, re-selling, or distributing health care goods or services, used on, or consumed by, patients is listed above.  No other planners, members of the planning committee, speakers, presenters, authors, content reviewers and/or anyone else in a position to control the content of this education activity have relevant financial relationships to disclose.

 

Available Credit

  • 1.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™
    The University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
  • 1.00 ANCC
    UPMC Provider Unit is accredited as a provider of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation
  • 1.00 Attendance
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