What we do
About our project
BRIDGE cohort
In total, 58 offspring of parents with a diagnosis of schizophrenia (38 families), 94 offspring of parents with a bipolar disorder (60 families), and 56 offspring of parents without severe mental illness (34 families), aged 8–18 years old, were included between 2010 and 2017. Overall, 88.5% of the offspring participated at 4-year follow-up: 51 offspring of parents with schizophrenia (87.9%), 84 offspring of parents with bipolar disorder (89.4%), and 49 offspring of parents unaffected with severe mental illness (87.5%). During the first two waves, the families visited the University Medical Centre Utrecht. Currently (2024), the third assessment is ongoing at the Erasmus Medical Center.
Visits
During the first visit, parents underwent a psychiatric interview to confirm presence of absence of a psychiatric diagnosis. During all three visits, offspring also underwent a psychiatric interview, neuropsychological testing, and questionnaires to assess, among others, presence and severity of psychiatric symptoms, trauma, coping style, emotion regulation, self-efficacy. Moreover, parents and offspring provided a blood sample or saliva and offspring were asked to participate in a neuroimaging scanner. Brain images were acquired to quantify brain structure (T1-weighted and diffusion weighted imaging) and functional MRI (task and resting state fMRI during wave 1 and 2 and resting state fMRI during wave 3).
Our research focus
Brain structure and brain function
A growing body of literature has demonstrated in brain structure and function in individuals with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia as well as their siblings and offspring. Most of the studies conducted to date are cross-sectional and thus provide no insight into the developmental trajectory of brain structure and brain function with increasing age.
Developmental trajectories
A longitudinal study design with child and adolescent offspring at high familial risk enables the estimation of such trajectories that precede the peak age of onset of severe mental illness. Importantly, such trajectories may reveal the age at which possible deviations start to emerge in high-familial-risk offspring. If the trajectories are lower or higher across the entire included age range, divergence begins around early childhood. However, if deviations first become apparent during adolescence, this may be a period of interest for studying interactions with processes that occur during this phase (e.g., puberty, social interactions, substance use, stress/trauma exposure) or it may be a target window for intervention or preventive strategies.
Funds & Grants
Brain & Behavior Research Foundation (2013–2015 NARSAD Independent Investigator Grant No. 20244 [to MHJH]).
Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (2012–2017 VIDI Grant No. 452-11-014 [to NEMvH]).
Sophia Foundation (Grant No. WAR20-40 [to NEMvH]).
European Union's HorizonEurope Research and Innovation Program (FAMILY; Grant No. 101057529 [to NEMvH]).
Collaborations
External collaborations
Other European familial high risk offspring cohorts:
BASYS-Barcelona: FUNDACIO CLINIC PER A LA RECERCA BIOMEDICA (FCRB).
BASYS-Madrid: FUNDACION PARA LA INVESTIGACION BIOMEDICA DEL.
HOSPITAL GREGORIO MARANON (FIBHGM).
LG-cohort: CENTRE HOSPITALIER UNIVERSITAIRE VAUDOIS (CHUV) VIA: REGION HOVEDSTADEN (RegionH).
Publications
Age trajectories of the structural connectome in child and adolescent offspring of individuals with bipolar disorder or schizophrenia. Simon R. Poortman, Marjolein E.A. Barendse, Nikita Setiaman, Siemon C. de Lange, Manon H.J. Hillegers,
Neeltje E.M. van Haren. Biological Psychiatry: Global Open Science. Published:May 27, 2024 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bpsgos.2024.100336
Setiaman N, Mesman E, van Haren N, Hillegers M. Emerging psychopathology and clinical staging in adolescent offspring of parents with bipolar disorder or schizophrenia-A longitudinal study. Bipolar Disord. 2024 Feb;26(1):58-70. doi: 10.1111/bdi.13351. Epub 2023 Jun 16. PMID: 37328951.
van Haren NEM, Setiaman N, Koevoets MGJC, Baalbergen H, Kahn RS, Hillegers MHJ. Brain structure, IQ, and psychopathology in young offspring of patients with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. Eur Psychiatry. 2020 Jan 31;63(1):e5. doi: 10.1192/j.eurpsy.2019.19. PMID: 32093799; PMCID: PMC8057400.
Our team
- Msc. Simon Poortman (PhD).
- Msc. Niels Weerheim (research worker).
Alumni:
- Msc. Nikita Setiaman.
Principal Investigators
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Prof. N.E.M. (Neeltje) van Haren
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Prof. M.H.J. (Manon) Hillegers, MD, PhD
Head of Department Child & Adolescent Psychiatry/psychology and principal investigator
