NEURO4C PROJECT
Neuro4C Project
Anxiety and depression disorders
Anxiety and depression disorders can begin during childhood and adolescence. Recent data indicate that following the COVID-19 pandemic, we are witnessing an increase in the global prevalence of these mental disorders. In this regard, 25.2% of individuals exhibit clinically significant symptoms of depression, while 20.5% show symptoms of anxiety.
Half of adolescents in the United States who suffer from mental disorders do not receive appropriate treatment, with lower-income countries showing an even greater gap in access to mental health services.
Barriers to accessing mental health services can be overcome through online-delivered cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). Evidence from the scientific literature supports the effectiveness of this form of psychotherapy for both adult and pediatric populations, demonstrating moderate to large effect sizes.
One of the most important neural predictors of psychotherapy outcomes is the moment-to-moment variability of the BOLD signal.
The Neuro4C Project aims to develop a predictive model based on the moment-to-moment variability of neural responses, designed to predict the outcome of online-delivered CBT for anxiety and depression disorders in adolescents.
About Neuro4C Project
Title: Improving Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy through Neuroscience: New Approaches to Understanding Treatment Response in Adolescent Anxiety and Depression Disorders
Contracting Authority: Babeș-Bolyai University
Project Code: PNRR-C9-I8-CF 278/30.11.2022
Host Institution: Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, through the Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy / International Institute for Advanced Studies in Psychotherapy and Applied Mental Health
Project Duration: 01.07.2023 – 30.06.2026
Project Director: Dr. Kristoffer Månsson
UBB Coordinator: Dr. Anca Dobrean
The project's objectives
The objectives of this project are as follows:
To develop a predictive model of moment-to-moment variability in neural responses that can accurately predict the evolution of depression and anxiety disorders in adolescents following cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT).
To investigate the test–retest reliability of moment-to-moment variability in brain signals.
To compare adolescents with depression and anxiety to healthy individuals in order to investigate the neural mechanisms involved in mental disorders.
Team members
Kristoffer Månsson (Project Director) is an associate professor, clinical psychologist, and researcher. He studies the brains of patients with psychiatric disorders using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
After completing his postdoctoral studies at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development in Berlin, Germany, and at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire, USA, he is currently a principal researcher at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, and at Babeș-Bolyai University in Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
Anca Dobrean is a professor in the Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy at Babeș-Bolyai University in Cluj-Napoca, as well as a senior clinical psychologist and certified cognitive-behavioral psychotherapist accredited by the Romanian College of Psychologists.
Her current research interests focus on identifying mechanisms that may explain mental disorders in children and adolescents—particularly those associated with anxiety and depression—as well as testing innovative, technology-based intervention methods.
Costina-Ruxandra Poetar is an associate professor in the Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy at Babeș-Bolyai University in Cluj-Napoca.
Her research interests include scientifically validated interventions for children, adolescents, and adults; family and couple psychology; and technology-based interventions (online, computerized, mobile applications, and virtual reality–delivered interventions).
Robert Balazsi is an associate professor in the Department of Psychology at Babeș-Bolyai University in Cluj-Napoca. He has over 20 years of experience teaching research methods and data analysis/modeling.
His research interests focus on the use of structural equation modeling (SEM, covariance-based) for analyzing data collected in cross-sectional and longitudinal research projects.
Roxana Sipos is a lecturer in the Department of Neurosciences at the “Iuliu Hațieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy.
She is also a senior specialist in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the Clinical Emergency Hospital for Children in Cluj-Napoca. Her professional activity focuses on the evaluation, diagnosis, therapeutic intervention, and case management of children and adolescents with various mental disorders. Dr. Sipos is actively involved in mentoring residents and conducting clinical research in this field.
Ruben Emanuel Nechifor is currently a researcher at the International Institute for Advanced Studies in Psychotherapy and Applied Mental Health at Babeș-Bolyai University.
His research interests include resting-state and task-based fMRI studies, neuroimaging, neuroscience, as well as research on diffusion, perfusion, and structural magnetic resonance imaging in high and ultra-high magnetic fields. He is currently a postdoctoral researcher within this project.
Amirhossein Manzouri is a dedicated professional in the field of medical imaging and a graduate of the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm.
With over a decade of experience as a research engineer, Amir has contributed to projects in diverse areas such as Alzheimer’s disease, gender identity, and stress-related disorders. His expertise includes data collection, advanced statistical analysis of functional fMRI data, and structural MRI data analysis using tools such as FSL, FreeSurfer, and AFNI. Amir is an experienced specialist in neuroimaging methodologies.
Raluca Balan is a postdoctoral researcher at the International Institute for Advanced Studies in Psychotherapy and Applied Mental Health at Babeș-Bolyai University (UBB).
Her main research interests include the use of technology in developing interventions for youth mental health problems, as well as the mechanisms involved in their mental health and social issues (e.g., school bullying).
Ondřej Zika obtained his bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Marketing from Aberystwyth University, during which he worked as a research assistant at Caltech in the lab led by John O’Doherty.
At the University of Oxford, he completed his PhD under the supervision of Dr. Katja Wiech and Professor Rafal Bogacz. He later joined the lab of Nico Schuck at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development, where he continued his research on a wide range of topics in computational psychiatry and cognitive neuroscience. Within the lab, Ondřej studies test–retest reliability in neuro data as well as the perception of ambiguity in clinical populations.
Ionuț-Stelian Florean is a researcher in the Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy at Babeș-Bolyai University (UBB).
He earned his PhD in 2022 with a dissertation focused on identifying and understanding key parental factors involved in child psychopathology. He is currently a lecturer at the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences at Babeș-Bolyai University. In addition to his expertise in clinical child and adolescent psychopathology, he is passionate about understanding and applying advanced statistical analysis methods. He is a postdoctoral researcher within this project.
Iulia Coșa is a researcher in the Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy in Cluj-Napoca.
She earned her PhD in 2024 and is also a licensed psychologist and autonomous psychotherapist, accredited by the Romanian College of Psychologists and the Romanian Association of Cognitive-Behavioral Psychotherapy. Her main research interests focus on adolescent mental health issues, with a particular interest in gaming disorder. She is a research assistant within this project.
Miruna Crișan is a PhD student in the Doctoral School of Doctoral School of Evidence-Based Assessment and Psychological Interventions.
She is a licensed clinical psychologist and accredited psychotherapist, with experience in psychological assessment, psychotherapy, and counseling for various mental health disorders. Her research focuses on exploring ways to reduce anxiety in group settings among children and adolescents. She is a doctoral research assistant within this project.
Oana Munteanu-Forij is a PhD student in the Doctoral School of Doctoral School of Evidence-Based Assessment and Psychological Interventionsat Babeș-Bolyai University and a resident physician in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the Clinical Emergency Hospital for Children in Cluj-Napoca.
She completed her bachelor’s and master’s studies in Medicine at the “Grigore T. Popa” University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Iași. Her research interests include parental contributions to anxiety in children and adolescents, as well as functional neuroimaging in childhood internalizing disorders.
Denisa Moldovan is a PhD student in the Doctoral School of Evidence-Based Assessment and Psychological Interventions at Babeș-Bolyai University.
Her research interests focus on the role of parental factors in adolescent psychopathology, as well as on identifying key factors and interventions that can improve the mental health of individuals and families.
Tudor Văidean is a PhD student in the Doctoral School of Evidence-Based Assessment and Psychological Interventions.
He works as a resident physician in pediatric psychiatry, being involved in the assessment and management of a wide range of psychiatric disorders in children and adolescents. His main research interests focus on identifying and studying potential new markers associated with psychopathological manifestations.
Costin Noje is a resident physician specializing in pediatric psychiatry.
He is actively involved in the assessment and treatment of a wide range of psychiatric disorders affecting children and adolescents. His main research goal is to identify and analyze potential new markers associated with psychopathological manifestations.
Results
News
Contact
Anca Dobrean
UBB coordinator
Neuro4C
- 37 Republicii Street, Cluj-Napoca, Romania, postal code: 400015.