title: The integration of the computer advisory system together with neuroimaging procedures, neurophysiological markers and psychological cognitive tests in order to obtain evidence based system for the physician treating affective disturbance.
abstract: WHO has classified depression disturbances--due to widespread existence and serious medical consequences and resulting social and economic effects--as a priority health problem in all the developed countries. The significance of the depression disturbances is fully comparable to such illnesses as heart diseases, cancer and HIV infection. The research made in the USA (NIMH programmer) shows that first contact doctors are not able to detect depression in relation to 50-70% of the people ill with it. Also the research made in other countries shows that a doctor properly identifies only one out of four persons with clear indications of depression. The wrong choice of the antidepressant drug may result in inefficient therapy and in growing risk of suicide. In 1993 the analysis of 50 best selling medicines in the EU made by two Italian pharmacologists showed that in France and Italy in over 45% of the cases the medicines with doubtful efficiency are applied. The aim of our project is to build a European network, which will integrate the research capabilities of a group of research institutes and university departments to provide an infrastructure for creation of the computer advisory system for diagnostics of affective disorders. This network will integrate our original computer expert advisory system called "Salomon" with modem brain imaging techniques and neurophysiological methods, which allows for the delineation of specific subtypes and particular episodes of mental disorders and their neural bases will be studied by state-of-the art (high tech) imaging techniques. This approach will lead to new investigatory, diagnostic and therapeutic techniques.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Silesia in Katowice.
authors.forename: Krzysztof
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kielan
authors.forename: Katarzyna
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kucharska-Pietura
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Warchala
authors.forename: Marek
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Konopka
authors.forename: Piotr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pieniazek
authors.forename: Marcin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hartel
mesh_terms: D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000592:standards; D001931:Brain Mapping; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000628:therapy*; D003936:Diagnosis, Computer-Assisted; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005060:Europe; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D005103:Expert Systems; D006801:Humans; D007391:International Cooperation; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011044:Poland; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000592:standards; D011322:Primary Prevention / Q000592:standards*; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011594:Psychometrics; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care; D014481:United States
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents