République Française Inserm
Institut thématique Neurosciences, sciences cognitives, neurologie, psychiatrie

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NEUROSCIENCE, COGNITIVE SCIENCES, NEUROLOGY and psychiatrY INSTITUTE (IT Neuro)

 

General overview

Neuroscience research accounts for just over 20% of French life sciences and health research. The IT Neuro encompasses all research on the brain, the central and peripheral nervous systems, and the neural aspects of the sensory organs. This research spans a continuum from fundamental and preclinical neuroscience to clinical neuroscience, including neurological, neuropsychological, and psychiatric diseases, as well as disorders of the sensory organs.

Fundamental neuroscience is concerned with the analysis and integration of the complexity of the nervous system, with the objective of understanding the neural bases of emerging higher cognitive functions such as cognition and consciousness, behaviour and emotion. Additionally, they investigate the mechanisms of cerebral plasticity, which enable the brain to adapt to its environment throughout life.

Preclinical approaches seek to comprehend the underlying molecular and cellular mechanisms that underpin neurological and psychiatric disorders. A variety of cell models (neuron cultures, nervous system cells, organoids, etc.) and animal models (C. elegans, Drosophila, zebrafish, murine, non-human primate, etc.) are employed to elucidate the origin and causal links of pathogenesis, identify potential biomarkers, and develop novel therapeutic strategies.

Clinical neuroscience focuses on the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms of neurological and psychiatric diseases and dysfunctions of the sensory organs. The medical implications of these diseases are considerable. The main neurological diseases include neurodegenerative diseases, brain tumors, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, demyelinating or dysimmune disorders, pain, migraines, strokes, neuroinfectious diseases and peripheral neuropathies. Psychiatric illnesses include anxiety, depression, addictions, schizophrenia, autism and obsessive-compulsive disorders. One person in three suffers from neurological or psychiatric disorders, making them the leading cause of illness and disability in the world. As the global population continues to age, the incidence of these disorders is expected to increase.

The key scientific challenge is therefore to understand the nervous system throughout life, under the influence of the external environment and in constant interaction with the body as a whole, such as the immune system, the endocrine system and the intestinal microbiota systems. Additionally, it is essential to gain insight into the major neurological and psychiatric disorders that originate from developmental, infectious or genetic causes.

In addition to the previously mentioned medical and scientific challenges, the applications of brain research extend to the fields of education, new technologies (AI, medical devices, personal sensors, etc.), computing and robotics (technologies for the disabled), influence of environmental factors, physiology, immunity, and public health. In this sense, the IT Neuro has strong interactions with other IT, in particular Health Technologies (TS), Public Health (SP), Physiology, Metabolism and Nutrition (PMN), Immunology, Inflammation, Infectiology and Microbiology (I3M) and Cellular biology, development and evolution (BCDE).

 

Cross-disciplinary fields with other Inserm IT

Cell models:  organoids, cells on chips, in vitro development, 3D cell cultures 

Cellular neurobiology: neurodevelopment, aging, energy metabolism 

Oncology: tumor microenvironment 

Epidemiology: risk factors, protective factors 

Chronobiology

Physiology and Nutrition: body-brain interactions, heart-blood-brain interactions, microbiota and brain pathologies, neuroendocrinology 

Genetic and epigenetic factors, gene therapy

Environmental factors:  toxicology, infectious agents, host-pathogen interaction, climate change 

Neurotechnology: AI, brain-machine interface, implants, connected devices 

Imaging Techniques (high-resolution, etc): in vivo exploration techniques (optogenetics, etc), and multi-omics analysis techniques (lipidomics, genomics, proteomics, etc.)

 

Medical Issues

Three main types of pathologies are distinguished:

Neurological diseases:

Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and other sporadic or hereditary neurodegenerative diseases, brain tumors, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis and demyelinating or dysimmune disorders, pain, migraine, strokes, neuro-infectious diseases, peripheral neuropathies

Psychiatric diseases:

Anxiety, depression, addiction, schizophrenia, autism, neurodevelopment disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorders, eating disorders, etc

These disorders affect or will affect about one in three people in Europe.

Sensory organ deficits:

Visual and hearing impairments, which affect respectively approximately 2 and 4 million people in France,

 

Missions of IT Neuro

 Develop a national strategic vision in its areas of activity.

  Coordinate the actions of public research actors, including research organisations, universities, university hospitals (CHUs), Centres of Excellence, and funding agencies, is to be facilitated.

 Work towards the enhancement of research valorization, national and international recognition, and the establishment of more robust partnerships with patient associations and civil society.

 

Priorities of IT Neuro

Scientific Priorities

Promote research aimed at gaining a deeper understanding of the major functions of the central and peripheral nervous systems, as well as the developmental and aging processes of the nervous system.

Promote a multi-scale approach to the nervous system.

Support translational research.

 Develop research on neurodegenerative and neurodevelopmental diseases

 Advance research in psychiatry.

 

Research Organization Priorities

 Improve human resources and training policies

Develop infrastructure, especially technological platforms and networks

Increase the visibility and attractiveness of French research at the European and international level

Develop partnerships with industry and patient associations