Psychotic disorders such as bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and related conditions affect about 3 percent of all people.  These can be severe conditions that reduce individuals’ inability to function in society. Current treatments are only partially effective and associated with significant side effects.  There is a great need for deeper understanding of these conditions that can lead to the development of new treatments.

Dr. Öngür’s group is working to understand brain abnormalities in people with psychotic disorders and to develop new treatment approaches to correct these abnormalities. Schizophrenia and bipolar disorder commonly involve difficulty integrating thoughts and sensory input. In addition, people with these conditions often have abnormal moods, as in depressive and manic episodes. At McLean, Dr. Öngür’s group uses innovative techniques to look closely at the basic biology of psychotic disorders. Dr. Öngür and his staff apply an array of tools—including functional and structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), electroencephalography (EEG), and cognition research —to probe and model the brain systems that go awry in these disorders.