Description
The biological basis and pharmacotherapy of psychiatric disorders are the main research interests of this research group. The topics are investigated by means of techniques of molecular biology, brain imaging (PET, Positron emission tomography, and MRI, magnetic resonance imaging) and novel pharmacotherapy approaches. The biological changes in mental disorders are linked to pharmacotherapy which includes studies in the area of anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder, dementia, depression and schizophrenia. The psychotherapeutic medications with a novel mechanism of action are initially studied in a pilot design and thereafter randomized controlled trials are performed, mostly within international collaborative projects. In our department we focus on standardized assessment tools of psychiatric disorders using internationally validated scales to measure the efficacy as well as the side-effect profile in a comparable manner. Our grants are funded by the Austrian Science Foundation, The Austrian National Bank and pharmaceutical industries and charities.
Selected publications:
Kasper S, Gryglewski G, Lanzenberger R (2014) Imaging brain circuits in anxiety disorders. The Lancet Psychiatry 1: 251-252
Kasper S, Kranz GS, Lanzenberger R (2014) Testosterone, neural curcuits and male depression. Biological Psychiatry 76: 272-27
Kasper S, Brasser M, Schweizer E, Lyndon G, Prieto R (2014) How well do randomizsed controlled trial data generalize to „real world“ clinical practice settings? Comparison of two generalized anxiety disorder studies. European Neuropsychopharmacology 24: 125–132
Kasper S, Sacher J, Klein N, Mossaheb N, Attarbaschi-Steiner T, Lanzenberger R, Spindelegger C, Asenbaum S, Holik A, Dudczak R (2009) Differences in the dynamics of serotonin reuptake transporter occupancy may explain superior clinical efficacy of escitalopram versus citalopram. International Clinical Psychopharmacology 24: 119-125
Members
Selected Publications of Principle Investigator
- Kasper S, Iglesias-García C, Schweizer E, Wilson J, DuBrava S, Prieto R, Pitman V, Knapp L (2014) Pregabalin long-term treatment and assessment of discontinuation in patients with generalized anxiety disorder Int J Neuropsychopharmacol, 17 (05): 685-695
- Kasper S, Hajak G, Wulff K, Hoogendijk W, Montejo A, Smeraldi E, Rybakowski J, Quera-Salva M, Wirz-Justice A, Picarel-Blanchot F, Baylé F (2010) Efficacy of the Novel Antidepressant Agomelatine on the Circadian Rest-Activity Cycle and Depressive and Anxiety Symptoms in Patients With Major Depressive Disorder J Clin Psychiatry, 71 (02): 109-120
- Kasper S, Stein DJ, Loft H, Nil R (2005) Escitalopram in the treatment of social anxiety disorder: Randomised, placebo-controlled, flexible-dosage study Br J Psychiatry, 186 (3): 222-226
- Kasper S, Lerman M, McQuade R, Saha A, Carson W, Ali M, Archibald D, Ingenito G, Marcus R, Pigott T (2003) Efficacy and safety of aripiprazole vs. haloperidol for long-term maintenance treatment following acute relapse of schizophrenia Int J Neuropsychopharmacol, 6 (4): 325-337
- Kasper S, Wehr TA, Bartko JJ, Gaist PA, Rosenthal NE (1989) Epidemiological Findings of Seasonal Changes in Mood and Behavior Arch Gen Psychiatry, 46 (9): 823