Director:
Internal Collaborations:
- Sandra Sassaroli, MD
- Giovanni Maria Ruggiero, MD
- Simona Scaini, PhD
- Barbara Forresi, PhD
- Regina Gregori Grgič, PhD
- Andrea Stefano Moro, Dipartimento di Psicologia, Sigmund Freud University Milano. Center for Behavioral Neuroscience and Communication (BNC), Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan
- Daniele Saccenti, PhD student
External Collaborations:
- Antonio Malgaroli, MD, Center for Behavioral Neuroscience and Communication (BNC), Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan
- Jacopo Lamanna, PhD, Center for Behavioral Neuroscience and Communication (BNC), Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan
- Sofia Allegra Crespi, PhD
- Vincenzo Zimarino, MD, PhD, Dipartimento di Psicologia Sigmund Freud University Milano
- Novella Alessandra Pretti, PhD, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia IIT Genova
Research area and primary aims:
We know that human behaviour and that of all other mammals is driven by brain activity, electrical activation of neurons and synaptic communication. The theoretical and methodological background of the research group is strongly consolidated in the field of basic research in physiology and neuroscience on both animal and human models
These scientific objectives can be divided into two main research lines:
1. Development and application of new tools for anatomical and functional mapping of synaptic circuits in relation to animal behaviour and their implementation into animal models of psychopathology
2. Translational development of new therapeutic approaches for diseases of the nervous system. As part of this research project, potential rescue strategies are evaluated on patients suffering from certain psychopathologies such as drug-resistant depression, obsessive compulsive disorder, addiction and other types of neurological disorders such as tourette syndrome. These strategies involve the use of neurostimulation techniques (such as transcranial magnetic stimulation) for which specific clinical protocols will be designed and validated.
Running projects:
| Title | Sfu Staff (Head) | Timeline | Status and Fund |
|---|---|---|---|
| TMS/tDCS application for the evaluation of the improvement of symptomatology in obsessive-compulsive disorder and for the evalution of a better effectiveness of TMS/tDCS application for the evaluation of the improvement of depressive symptoms and for the evalution of a better effectiveness of psychotherapy in the same psychopatology | Ferro, M. | 2020- | Planning project |
| -TMS/tDCS application for the evaluation of the improvement of addiction (Es: cocaine, alchool, gambling) symptomatology and for the evalution of a better effectiveness of psychotherapy in the same psychopatology - TMS and delay discounting processes in addiction | Ferro, M. | 2020- | Planning project |
| -TMS/tDCS application for the evaluation of the improvement of symptomatology in tourette syndrome and osessive-compulsive disorder for the evalution of a better effectiveness of psychotherapy in the same psychopatology | Ferro, M. | 2020- | Planning project |
| -TMS and pre-SMA modulation | Ferro, M. | 2020- | Planning projects |
| -Development of new tools for the detection of synaptic activity | Ferro, M. | 2020- | Plannig project |
| - Investigation of the response of neural circuits in animal models of psychiatric disorders | Ferro, M. | 2020- | Plannig project |
Contacts:
Mattia Ferro, PhD
e-mail: m.ferro@milano-sfu.it