Masterclass Agenda
Wednesday 5th March 2008
"The Current State of Knowledge"
| 12.00 - 1.30: | Registration and lunch |
| 1.30 – 3.30: Session 1 |
The nature of cognitive dysfunction in bipolar and unipolar
disorders and its neural circuitry Organiser and Co-Chair: Nicol Ferrier Co-Chair: Ian Anderson |
| Key Questions: 1. Which dysfunctions are mood dependant and which are found in euthymia? 2. What are the similarities and differences between the two disorders? 3. Which areas of the brain are implicated and are these changes state or trait related? 4. What are the roles of age, episodes, co-morbidities and medication in these dysfunctions? |
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| Presentations: 1. 'Bipolar disorder' David Glahn (25 mins + 5 mins questions) 2. 'Unipolar disorder' Klaus Ebmeier (25 mins + 5 mins questions) 3. 'Emotional processing abnormalities' John Gray (10 mins + 5 mins questions) |
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| Discussion (45 mins) Discussants: Sophia Frangou; Ronan O’Carroll |
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| 3.30 – 4.00: | Tea. |
| 4.15 – 6.15: Session 2 |
The role of monoamines and corticosteroids in cognition |
| Key Questions: 1. Which domains of cognition are most sensitive to corticosteroids? 2. What is the relative importance of different monoamines to cognition? 3. Does the role of corticosteroids alter over time (chronic vs. acute)? |
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| Presentations: 1. 'Corticosteroid effects on cognition' Bernet Elzinga (25 min + 10 min discussion) 2. 'Cognitive psychopharmacology of monoamines' Wim Riedel (25 min + 10 min discussion) |
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| Discussion (50 mins) Discussants: Joe Herbert, Willem van der Does |
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| 8.00: | Dinner |
Thursday 6th March 2008
"The Major Questions"
| 8.30 – 10.30: Session 3 |
Rodent models of cognitive function – What can
we measure? What can we learn? Organiser and Co-Chair: Sasha Gartside Co-Chair: Gernot Riedel |
| Key Questions: 1. What can we measure: spatial working memory and beyond? 2. How do we validate new rodent models? 3. Is the circuitry the same in rodents and humans? 4. Are strain and species differences a factor? 5. Inter-individual differences –nature, nurture, an opportunity for selective breeding? |
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| Presentations: (15 mins + 10 mins clarification/discussion) 1. 'Spatial working memory in the rat: maze or minefield?' David Bannerman 2. 'Attention!- tapping the functions of the prefrontal cortex' David Tait 3. 'Developing rodent models of cognition – how far can we go?' Tim Bussey |
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| Discussion: (45 mins) Discussants: Mohammed Shoaib, Alex Easton |
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| 10.30 – 11.00: | Coffee |
| 11.00 – 1.00: Session 4 |
Testing cognitive dysfunction in man – how should
it be done? Organiser and Co-chair: John Gray Co-Chair: Maarten Milders |
| Key Questions: 1. Are all of the abnormalities found the result of a “single” lesion/pathology? 2. Are there some cognitive impairments more relevant to social function and some to tracking changes in basic neurophysiological processes 3. To what extent are we measuring the same thing when we measure e.g. working memory in rodents and in humans 4. How should we characterize and measure cognitive impairment in patients and in response to treatment? |
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| Presentations: (15 mins + 10 mins clarification/discussion) 1. 'Assessment and neural correlates of object-location memory' Roy Kessels 2. 'Models and measures of working memory' Colin Hamilton 3. 'Cognitive control of emotion: models and measures' Melissa Green |
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| Discussion (45 mins) Discussants: David Glahn, Peter Gallagher |
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| 1.00 – 1.45: | Lunch |
| 1.45 – 3.45: Session 5 |
Monoamine manipulations targeting cognition Organiser and Co-Chair: Hamish McAllister-Williams Co-Chair: Phil Cowen |
| Key Questions: 1. Do monoamines play similar roles in cognition in both man and animals? 2. Are gross manipulations of monoamines anything beyond blunt instruments? 3. Is there mileage in a receptor and/or pathway specific approach? 4. Do monoamines simply play a modulatory role and if so, are effect sizes of manipulations likely to have clinical significance? 5. Are monoamine effects on emotional processing central to the action of antidepressants? |
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| Presentations: (15 mins + 10 mins clarification/discussion) 1. 'The use of specific ligands in animals' Marie Woolley-Roberts 2. 'Monoamine depletion studies' Willem van der Does 3. 'Monoamines and emotion' Catherine Harmar |
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| Discussion (45 mins) Discussants: Linda Booij and Wim Riedel |
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| 3.45 – 4.15: | Tea |
| 4.15 – 6.15: Session 6 |
HPA axis manipulations targeting cognitive dysfunction Organiser and Co-Chair: Richard McQuade Co-Chair: Carmine Pariante |
| Key Questions: 1. Are GR antagonists affective clinically? 2. Should we be targeting both MR and GR function? 3. Is 11-β-HSD a potential target? 4. How long do we treat? |
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| Presentations: (15 mins + 10 mins clarification/discussion) 1. '11-β-HSD manipulation and cognition' Joyce Yau 2. 'Significance of GR/MR balance in cognitive function' Melly Oitzl 3. 'GR antagonists and cognition in bipolar patients' Peter Gallagher |
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| Discussion (45 mins) Discussants: Hugh Marston, Bernet Elzinga |
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| 8.00: | Dinner |
Friday 7th March 2008
"The way forward"
| 8.30 - 10.00 Session 7 |
Is cognition a viable therapeutic target? Organiser and Co-Chair: Hamish McAllister-Williams Co-Chair: Hugh Marston |
| Key Questions: 1. Is cognition a possible outcome measure in clinical studies? (if so – which tests would be best?) 2. Does Industry have an appetite for a new indication of cognitive impairment in functional illnesses? 3. Would MHRA/EMEA/FDA give such a licence? 4. Would clinicians use such drugs? |
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| Presentations: (15 mins) 1. 'The view from clinical academia' Ian Anderson 2. 'The view from industry' Thomas Steckler |
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| Discussion (50 mins) Discussants: Gerry Dawson, Phil Cowen |
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| 10.00 - 10.30 | Coffee |
| 10.30 - 11.30 Session 8 |
Future research and possible collaborative links Chair: Colin Ingram Discussant: Richard Morris |
| 11.30 - 12.30 Session 9 |
Meeting action plan including publication in J. Psychopharm
and future of CADENCE. Chair: Nicol Ferrier |
| 12.30: | Lunch and close of meeting |