Research
One of the important goals of the Department of Clinical Neurosciences is to foster the research and create future clinician-neuroscientists for the country. The department is determined to provide best resources in the best research environment to its research residents to address some of the most intriguing questions in the field of Clinical Neurosciences. The major advantage of our department is its heterogeneity in terms of students working in diverse yet inter-related areas of neurosciences, which provides greater opportunities for the inter-disciplinary neuroscience research in the department.
Alzheimers Disease
Alzheimer’s disease (AD), is a form of dementia that gradually gets worsens over time. It affects various cognitive domains including memory, thinking, and behavior. In the early stages of dementia, brain image scans may be normal. In later stages, an MRI may show a decrease in the size of different areas of the brain. There has been no definitive prevention or cure for this entity. Early identification and treatment could help slowing down the progression of this disease.
Alzheimer’s Association http://www.alz.org/
Alzheimer’s and Related Disorders Society of India (ARDSI) http://www.alzheimer.org.in/
Alzheimer’s Society http://www.alzheimers.org.uk/site/index.php
Alzheimers Disease Research http://www.ahaf.org/alzheimers/
Autism
Autism is a developmental disorder that appears in the first 3 years of life, and affects the brain’s normal development of social and communication skills. The exact causes of these abnormalities remain unknown, but this is a very active area of research. Autism is also said to have a strong genetic basis, although the genetics of autism are complex and it is unclear whether ASD is explained more by rare mutations, or by rare combinations of common genetic variants. There are probably a combination of factors that lead to autism. Some relevent links are mentioned below.
Brain Tumors
The management of brain tumors is multidisciplinary and remains an enormous challenge. Despite decades of research, the cause of brain tumors has not been identified in many cases. With every brain tumor associated with increased disability and high rates of death; and lack of knowledge about its prevention, the study of the biology of these becomes an important priority. Advances in neuro-oncology can only be made through translating basic biology research into a clinical perspective. Our aim is to identify biomarkers and evaluate their role, so as to drive more effective therapies with a potential role for better survival of patients with these diseases. Some important links and journals in this field include,
International Brain Tumor Alliance
European Association of neuro oncology
Indian Society of neuro oncology
Epilepsy
Epilepsy is the second most common neurological disorder, which results from the abnormal synchronous discharges from a group of neurons. About one-third of epilepsy patients do not become seizure free and the pathophysiology behind these resistant epilepsies is not known. Even the basic mechanism of epilepsy in the well-controlled patients is not properly understood. Aggressive focused translational research in the field of epilepsy is the need of the hour as patients suffering from epilepsy not only face profound neurological sequelaes but also psychological and social consequences. Below are the links of some of the epilepsy related websites, which provides further information about this disorder
http://www.epilepsyindia.org/ies/index.html
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/(ISSN)1528-1167
Mitochondrial disorders
Mitochondrial disorders are a group of clinically heterogeneous multisystem disease characterized by brain–mitochondrial encephalopathies and/or muscle–mitochondrial myopathies due to alterations in the protein complexes of the electron transport chain of oxidative phosphorylation.
The precise relationship between mitochondrial DNA mutations, impairment of oxidative phosphorylation and clinical phenotypes is not well understood. The prevailing view is that defects in ATP generating capacity due to mitochondrial DNA defect leads to energy failure, cellular dysfunction and eventually cell death in the affected tissues.
United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation
Society for Mitochondria Research and Medicine, India
Mitochondrial Medicine Society
Parkinson’s Disease
Movement disorders are neurological conditions that affect the speed, fluency, quality, and ease of movement. Parkinsonism refers to a group of movement disorders that have similar features and symptoms. Idiopathic Parkinson’s disease is the most common form of Parkinson’s disease also is called so because the cause for the condition is unknown.
Parkinson’s disease results from the degeneration of nuclei in a number of dopamine-producing nerve cells in the brainstem. When dopamine production is depleted, the motor system nerves are unable to control movement and coordination. A few educational links are given below
Movement Disorders Virtual University
Parkinsons Disease and Movement Disorders Society India
Schizophrenia
The WHO lists Schizophrenia among the most disabling medical diseases. Schizophrenia is a complex neuropsychiatric disorder characterized by delusions, hallucinations, disorganized behavior and progressive cognitive deficits. The pathophysiology of this disease remains yet unclear.Studies currently focus on understanding the clinical & pathogenetic correlates of brain abnormalities in this disorder by employing techniques including clinical / neurocognitive analyses, brain imaging (structural MRI, functional MRI, DTI & MRS), immunological assays, gene polymorphism & expression studies.
Schizophrenia Research Forum
Sleep Disorders
Sleep is a complex neurological state. The importance of sleep could be seen from the fact that people spend about one-third of their lifespan in sleep. Alterations in the quality, quantity and pattern of sleep result in sleep disorders. Sleep disorders cover a wide spectrum of diseases. Though there are more than 100 identified sleep/wake disorders. Researches during the last 50 years, and the advances made in clinical sleep medicine, have lead to more effective treatments for the myriad human sleep disorders. Some important links on this topic are mentioned below.
American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) www.aasmnet.org
National Sleep Foundation (NSF) www.sleepfoundation.org
Indian Society for Sleep Research (ISSR) www.issr.in
Indian Sleep Disorders Association (ISDA) www.isda.co.in
World Association of Sleep Medicine (WASM) www.wasmonline.org
Traumatic Brain Injuries
Mild trauma cause either contact (impact) or inertial (acceleration or deceleration) forces that has effect on extra or intra-cellular brain parenchyma, leading to imbalance in metabolic cascade or neurotransmitter level. Majority of them are not identified at structural level (CT, MRI). But the consequences of these imbalance is highly variable among individuals. Its interesting to know these concepts, by which we can find solutions and help better recovery of patients.
Mild traumatic brain injury or concussion injury updates on NIH http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/concussion.html
International Brain Injury Association (IBIA)
- Clinical trial of Ayush Manas in mental retardation: this is an ongoing double-blind placebo controlled trial funded by CCRAS.
- Aripiprazole in adolescent schizophrenia:
- Paliperidone in adolescent schizophrenia
- Clinical trial for efficacy and safety of DCBT 0123 in children with mental retardation
Important recent publications
Srinath S, Girimaji SC, Gururaj G, Seshadri SP, Subbakrishna DK, Bhola P, Kumar N. Epidemiological study of child & adolescent psychiatric disorders in urban & rural areas of Bangalore, India. Indian Journal of Medical Research 2005 Jul 122(1): 67-79
Kumar A, Girimaji SC, Duvvari MR, Blanton SH. Mutations in STIL, Encoding a Pericentriolar and Centrosomal Protein, Cause Primary Microcephaly. American Journal of Human Genetics, 2009 Feb 84(12); 286-290
Ratheesh, A., Srinath, S., Reddy, J.Y.C, Girimaji, S.C, Seshadri, S. P, Thennarasu, K, Hutin, Y. Are anxiety disorders associated with a more severe form of bipolar disorder in adolescents? Indian J Psychiatry.2011; 53(4): 312–318
Math, S. B., & Seshadri, S. P. The invisible ones: Sexual minorities. The Indian Journal of Medical Research, 2013; 137(1), 4–6.
Jacob,P Seshadri, S, Girimaji,S.C, Srinath, S Vijay Sagar, J Clinical characteristics of aggression in children and adolescents admitted to a tertiary care centre. Asian Journal of Psychiatry. 2013; Vol. 6, Issue 6, Pages 556–559
Jacob P, Seshadri SP. Parenting in Children and Adolescents with Internalising Disorders. Review Article J. Indian Assoc. Child Adolesc. Ment. Health 2013; 9(4):136-148
Jacob P, Gogi PKV, Srinath S, Thirthalli J, Girimaji S, Seshadri S, Sagar JV. Review of electroconvulsive therapy from a tertiary care child and adolescent psychiatry centre. As J Psychiatry, 2014; 12 (Dec): 95-99.
Jacob P, Golhar T, Seshadri S, Mani RN, Purushothaman K. Child and Adolescent Mental Health in the Juvenile Justice System in India: Challenges and Initiatives Adolescent Psychiatry, Volume 4, Number 4, October 2014, pp. 278-283(6)
Bhaskaran S, Seshadri S (2014). Enabling safety and freedom from abuse within the school. Azim Premji Foundation Issue XXI| Learning Curve
Maroky AS, Ratheesh A, Viswanath B, Bada Math S, Channapatna S, Chandrashekar R, Shekhar SP, Ego-dystonicity’ in homosexuality: An Indian perspective-Int J Soc Psychiatry, 2014
Chakraborty S, Kommu, JVS, Srinath S, Seshadri SP, and Girimaji SC. Children with Specific Learning Disability and Mental Retardation .Indian J Psychol Med. 2014; 36(1): 27–32. A Comparative Study of Pathways to Care for
Gaikwad AD, Lalitha K, and Seshadri SP. Play Therapy: An Approach to Manage Childhood Problems. Int. J. Pediatr. Nurs., vol. 1, no. 1, 2015.
Meera SS, Shankar RG, Girimaji SC, Seshadri SP, Philip M, Shivashankar N. Pragmatics of language in the broad autism phenotype. Speech, Language and Hearing 2015 Vol. 18 , Iss. 3. 156-160
Meera SS, Girimaji SC, Seshadri SP, Philip M, Shivashankar N, Morgan P and Piven J. Translation of the Broad Autism Phenotype Questionnaire to an Indian language: A description of the process. Asian J Psychiatry,2015; 15, 62-67.
Srinath S, Jacob P. Challenges in parent-mediated training in autism spectrum disorder. Lancet Psychiatry, 2015 Dec 15.
Kaku, SM, Kommu, JVS, Seshadri S, Girimaji, SC., & Srinath S. Pervasive refusal syndrome – A clinical challenge. Asian Journal of Psychiatry, 2015; 17(Supplement C), 96–98.
Gaikwad, AD, Krishnasamy L, Seshadri S. Effectiveness of Play Therapy on Family Stress, Coping and Selected Variables of Children with Disruptive Behaviour Disorders. International Journal of Child Development and Mental Health, [S.l.], v. 4, n. 2, p. 7-18, July 2016. ISSN 2586-887X.
Bhaskaran TS, Gaikwad AD, Chandrakanth C, and Seshadri SP. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in pre-schoolers: A report of two cases. Asian J. Psychiatry, 2016 vol. 20, no. Supplement C, pp. 52–54
Bhaskaran TS, & Seshadri, SP. Child Sexual Abuse- Clinical Challenges and Practical Recommendations. Journal of Indian Association For Child & Adolescent Mental Health, 2016 12(2), 143-161.
Bhaskaran, TS, Seshadri SP, Srinath S, Girimaji SC, and Sagar JV. Clinical characteristics of children presenting with history of sexual abuse to a tertiary care centre in India Asian J. Psychiatry, 2016 vol. 19, no. Supplement C, pp. 44–49.
Jacob, P; Srinath, S; Girimaji, S; Seshadri, S; Sagar,J .V . Co-morbidity in attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder: A clinical study from India. East Asian Archives of Psychiatry 2016 Volume 26 Issue 4
Rukmani MR, Seshadri SP, Thennarasu K , Raju TR, Sathyaprabha TN Heart Rate Variability in Children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: A Pilot Study . Ann Neurosci. 2016; 23:81–88
Muthusamy Babylakshmi, Selvan Lakshmi Dhevi N., Nguyen Thong T., Manoj Jesna, Stawiski Eric W., Jaiswal Bijay S., Wang Weiru, Raja Remya, Ramprasad Vedam Laxmi, Gupta Ravi, Murugan Sakthivel, Kadandale Jayarama S., Prasad T.S. Keshava, Reddy Kavita, Peterson Andrew, Pandey Akhilesh, Seshagiri Somasekar, Girimaji Satish Chandra, and Gowda Harsha. Next-Generation Sequencing Reveals Novel Mutations in X-linked Intellectual Disability. OMICS: A Journal of Integrative Biology. May 2017, 21(5): 295-303.
Kaku SM, Basheer S, Venkatasubramanian G, Bharath RD, Girimaji SC, Srinath S. Social experiential deprivation in autism spectrum disorders: A possible prognostic factor? Asian Journal of Psychiatry. 2017 Apr (26) 44-45
Basheer S, Nagappa M, Mahadevan A, Bindu PS, Taly AB, Girimaji SC. Neuropsychiatric Manifestations of Pediatric NMDA Receptor Autoimmune Encephalitis: A Case Series from a Tertiary Care Center in India. The primary care companion for CNS disorders. 2017 Aug 17;19(4).
Nair S, Indiramma V, Girimaji SC, Pillai RR. Sexuality in Adolescents with Intellectual disability: Felt Needs of Parents. Indian Journal of Psychiatric Social Work. 2017 Aug 30;8(2).
Basheer S, Natarajan A, Van Amelsvoort T, Venkataswamy MM, Vasanthapuram R, Srinath S, Girimaji SC, Christopher R. Vitamin D status of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Case-control study from India. Asian Journal of Psychiatry 2017 Dec (30):200-201
Ramaswamy, S., & Seshadri, S. Our failure to protect sexually abused children: Where is our “willing suspension of disbelief”? Indian Journal of Psychiatry, 2017; 59(2), 233–235.
Kommu JVS, Gayathri KR, Srinath S, Girimaji SC, Seshadri SP, Gopalakrishna G, Subbakrishna DK. Profile of two hundred children with Autism Spectrum Disorder from a tertiary child and adolescent psychiatry centre. Asian J. Psychiatry, 2017 vol. 28, no. Supplement C, pp. 51–56.
Preeti K, Srinath S, Seshadri SP, Girimaji SC, and Kommu JVS. Lost time—Need for more awareness in early intervention of autism spectrum disorder, Asian J. Psychiatry, 2017 vol. 25, no. Supplement C, pp. 13–15.
Books
Bhaskaran T.S., Seshadri, .S.P, (2017) .Ethics in Child Psychotherapy: A Practitioner’s Perspective. In, Ethical Issues in Counselling and Psychotherapy Practice: Walking the Line. Bhola, P, Raguram, A(eds) Springer. India.
Harper, G, Parry, P, Jared Ng, Seshadri, S (2017). Psychopharmacology for Children and Adolescents: A Paradigm Shift. In, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry-Asian Perspectives, Malhotra,S and Santosh, P (eds) .Springer.
Rao,M, Sonpar, S, Sen, A, Seshadri,S.P, Agarwal, H.(2015) Psychosocial Study of Ragging in Selected Educational Institutions in India https://www.ugc.ac.in/pdfnews/7661310_Psychosocial-Study-of-Ragging.pdf….
Maitra, S, Seshadri, S (2012). Play – Experiential methodologies in developmental and therapeutic settings .Orient Blackswan Publishers.India.
Seshadri S, Rao N(2012). Parenting-The art and science of nurturing. Byword publishers.Delhi,India.
Seshadri, S (2012). A trainer’s manual-on drug use prevention, treatment and care for street children. UNODC,NISD.Chapter 4,Primary prevention among street children
Seshadri, S.P. (2011). Child Rights from A Mental Health Perspective. First Foundation Day Oration. Monograph of National Commission of Child Rights
Seshadri, S, Saldhana, S, Saksena, S (2010). On Track: A Workbook on Life Skills and Personal Safety. MacMillan Publications
Seshadri, S, Vinay Chandran, V (2006). Reframing masculinities: Using films with adolescent boys /. Combating Gender Violence in and around Schools. Fiona Leach and Claudia Mitchell (Eds). Sterling, VA : Trentham Books,
Vijayalakshmi, K.L, Seshadri, S (2001). Mental Health Self-disclosure in Child Sexual Abuse: Content Analysis of Written Narratives of Disclosure in Mental Health from a Gender Perspective/edited by Bhargavi V. Davar. New Delhi, Sage, 427 pISBN 81-7036-955-X.
Seshadri, S (1999).Approaches to life-skills training in schools-Content and Methodology. Proceedings of the 5th Biennial conference of IACAM
Benegal, V, Bhushan, K, Seshadri, S , Karott, M.(1998). Drug Abuse Among Street Children in Bangalore. A project in collaboration between the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore and the Bangalore Forum for Street and Working Children. Monograph funded by CRY