Research Group "Neuropsychiatry and Biomarkers"

Research activities focus on the earliest biological and clinical changes related to cognitive decline and delirium in older age. In particular, these activities aim to:

• Identify and validate molecular biomarkers for prediction, early detection and differential diagnosis of cognitive impairment and related behavioral psychological symptoms
• Better understand the molecular mechanisms of Alzheimer's disease and related neurodegenerative diseases
• Identify risk factors and protective factors of cognitive decline and delirium to assess risk and develop approaches to prevention and treatment.

Three articles on factors associated with cognitive impairment in the elderly population (the PsyCoLaus study) have been published in Neurobiology of Aging, Frontiers in Aging Neurosciences and Neurology.

• Ouanes S, Castelao E, Gebreab S, von Gunten A, Preisig M, Popp J. Life events, salivary cortisol, and cognitive performance in nondemented subjects: a population-based study. Neurobiol Aging. 2017;51:1-8.
• Ouanes S, Castelao E, von Gunten A, Vidal PM, Preisig M, Popp J. Personality, Cortisol, and Cognition in Non-demented Elderly Subjects: Results from a Population-Based Study. Front Aging Neurosci. 2017;9:63.
• Haba-Rubio J, Marti-Soler H, Tobback N, Andries D, Marques-Vidal P, Waeber G, et al. Sleep characteristics and cognitive impairment in the general population: The HypnoLaus study. Neurology. 2017;88(5):463-9.

Several longitudinal studies supported by the National Fund for Scientific Research are currently underway. The studies focus on the early detection of neurocognitive disorders and the role of inflammation and stress in the development of neurodegenerative diseases and their clinical manifestations.

• Cours de privat-docent : Troubles psychiatriques organiques de l’âge avancé
• Psychiatrie générale, thématiques de psychiatrie générale et de psychiatrie organique
• Cours de Master en Biologie, spécialisation Neurosciences(responsable A. Voltera):
• Epidémiologie et aspects cliniques de la maladie d’Alzheimer
• Cours du Centre d'enseignement pour la spécialisation en psychiatrie et psychothérapie (CEPUSPP) (responsable A. von Gunten): Neuropsychiatrie des syndromes démentiels
• Méthodologie de la recherche en psychiatrie et psychopathologie (responsable M. Preisig)