PsyReN V1
Research type
Research Study
Full title
The Neuro-(Psy)chiatric (Re)tina (N)etwork (PsyReN) project: Collection of Retinal and Blood Based Biomarker Data for Neuropsychiatric Diagnosis and Treatment
IRAS ID
354548
Contact name
James Rucker
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
King's College London
Duration of Study in the UK
4 years, 11 months, 31 days
Research summary
Developing objective tests for mental health disorders has proven very difficult, partly because the brain is not directly observable. The exception to this is the retina, or the layer of cells at the back of the eye that allows us to see. Opticians use two types of device to measure the structure and functioning of the retina: Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) machines and Electroretinography (ERG) machines.
We have previously shown that changes in the structure and functioning of the retina as seen with OCT and ERG devices are seen in people with mental health conditions. Now we would like to increase the scope of this research to understand whether OCT and ERG devices may be useful tests for mental health conditions such as depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. If they are, then they would be easy to implement in existing psychiatric clinics.
We will ask each of the participants at the Centre for Mental Health Research and Innovation, aged 18+ with a psychiatric disorder to take part. Participation will involve having OCT and ERG tests when they visit the Centre, as well as giving 50ml blood samples. There will be 2-6 testing sessions of about 20 mins each, over 2 - 26 weeks, depending on the follow-up schedule of the clinical trial for which they are attending the Centre for. This way, we can build up a biological database of retinal changes in people with different diagnoses, and receiving different treatments, to see whether ERG and OCT machines can provide useful measurements that may guide diagnosis and treatment in the clinic.
The study is funded by National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).
REC name
East of England - Cambridge Central Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
25/EE/0075
Date of REC Opinion
23 May 2025
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion