Lehr- und Forschungsgebiet:
Metabolic Psychiatry

Lead:
Prof. Dr. med. Thomas Frodl

Co-Lead:
Dr. Duygu Keskin Gökcelli, dkeskingoekcukaachende

Study Coordinator:
Alina Lemmrich, alemmrichukaachende

Medical Doctors:
Dariush Henning, dhenningukaachende
Leona Boesehans, lboesehansukaachende

Medical Doctor Student:
Daniel Kutschak Alawi, dakutschakalukaachende 

Metabolism is the set of life-sustaining chemical reactions. The main functions of metabolism are the conversion of energy from food into energy that is available for cellular and thus also neuronal processes, the conversion of food into building blocks of proteins, lipids, nucleic acids and some carbohydrates, and the excretion of metabolic waste products. Metabolic substances are therefore of paramount importance for the energy supply of the brain. They also fulfil many other functions, e.g. metabolic products also communicate between the organs and the brain and thus influence our behaviour, our emotions and our perception. 

The field is multidisciplinary and is based on decades of clinical, epidemiological, neuroscientific, genetic, psychological, social and metabolic research. The Brain Metabolic Theory opens up new possibilities for the diagnostic categorisation of mental disorders and provides answers to a missing piece of the puzzle in our understanding of mental health and disease. Furthermore, there is ample evidence for an association between mental illness and metabolic disorders such as diabetes, heart attacks, strokes, pain disorders, obesity, Alzheimer's disease and epilepsy.

In our department, we are currently investigating the possibility of predicting mental illness at an early stage by using metabolic markers, in particular volatile organic compounds from breath and blood, to determine the risk of developing metabolic disorders as comorbidities of mental illness, and to determine whether there is an association between metabolic markers from breath or blood and metabolic markers from ultra-high field MRI imaging, as well as to identify new targets for the treatment of mental illness.

Contact:

If you are interested in participating in the Metabolic Psychiatry Working Group, please make an appointment by telephone on 0241 80-89633 (Chief Secretary's Office) or contact us by e-mail at alemmrichukaachende (Ms Alina Lemmrich, Study Coordinator).