Visions of the future in the brain
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Understanding cognitive biases in episodic future simulation in Bipolar Spectrum Disorders: a functional neuroimaging study.
IRAS ID
179299
Contact name
Martina Di Simplicio
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Medical Research Council
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 7 months, 31 days
Research summary
Bipolar Spectrum Disorders (BPSD) affect 1-4% of the population and can be severe and disabling mental illnesses, characterised by swings between depressed and elated ("manic") mood and often accompanied by high levels of anxiety. The psychological processes that contribute to maintaining the symptoms of BPSD remain poorly understood. As a result, an optimal psychological treatment for BPSD still needs to be developed.
An important psychological process that impacts on mood and behaviour of individuals is the prediction of future scenarios (called ‘episodic future simulation’). Episodic future simulation allows individuals to imagine what a hypothetical future event might be like, especially the likely emotional consequences, for the purpose of planning actions and problem solving. The process of episodic future simulation appears to be altered in BPSD. Experimental data suggest that when individuals with BPSD simulate future scenarios they experience mental images of the future that feel more 'real', vivid and compelling compared to healthy individuals. Clinical evidence shows that targeting the 'realness' of mental images in BPSD reduces anxiety and low mood. However, we lack a better understanding of what mechanism makes mental images feel 'more real' in individuals with BPSD compared to healthy individuals. The present study aims to explore this by investigated which areas of brain are responsible for future mental images 'feeling more real' in individuals with BPSD compared to healthy individuals.
The study will ask participants ('cases' = individuals with BPSD, and healthy 'controls') to simulate future scenarios while brain and body responses are recorded using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) of the brain and a heart rate monitor. Findings will help develop new psychological therapy interventions to reduce anxiety and mood swings in BPSD.REC name
East of England - Cambridge East Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/EE/0199
Date of REC Opinion
30 Jun 2015
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion