Research group Clinical neuroscience in psychiatry

Aims

• The influence of stress on the brain as measured by cognition an neuroimaging in health and disease-Gene-by-environment interactions to determine depressive vulnerability in the form of memory bias.
• The relationship between physical and neurocognitive complaints in observational cohorts.
• The neurocognitive prevention and in particular neuromodulation treatment of stress-related mental disorders-Personalizing vulnerability staging in care programmes.
• Extending the primary and secondary prevention part with the life span perspective, understanding the long-term consequences of stress during early development.
• Investigate the mechanistic underpinnings and clinical effectivity of magnetic seizure therapy.
• Continue multicenter clinical trials with non-invasive neuromodulation whereby I am to focus also more on the aspect of relapse prevention and the potential of transdiagnostic application. This will create innovate treatment options which can then be implemented in care.
• Include aspect of promoting resilience by augmenting positive schema memory as prevention topic in my cohort work and line up with initiatives of the prevention and AI tile of the sector plan.

• Addition information

  A central focus of our work is exploring the cognitive and neural mechanisms underlying stress-related mental disorders. Our aim is to understand the pathophysiology at a mechanistic level to inform targeted treatments. We began this journey by applying cognitive neuroimaging techniques to investigate episodic memory and its neural substrates in depression.

  Building on this foundation, our research evolves toward emotional memory and neuroplasticity, with particular attention to how electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) influences memory function and brain plasticity. We examine structural brain changes, including amygdala and hippocampal volume alterations associated with mood regulation and memory bias, along with the impact of ECT on memory reconsolidation and hippocampal volume changes related to cognitive outcomes. These studies contribute to a deeper understanding of the neural correlates of stress-related mental disorders and the neuroplastic effects of ECT.

  We advance our research by integrating neuromodulation techniques targeting memory and neuroplasticity, with a focus on translating these insights into novel therapies. We demonstrate that structural brain changes induced by electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) are closely linked to clinical outcomes, underscoring the neurobiological mechanisms underlying treatment response.

  Additionally, our research has shown that transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) targeting the medial prefrontal cortex can modulate emotional memory schemas, offering targeted emotional regulation strategies. We also examine how ECT enhances neuroplasticity markers in the hippocampus, indicating increased neuroplasticity associated with clinical improvement.

  Lately we evaluate repetitive TMS (rTMS) as an alternative treatment for antidepressant nonresponders, comparing its efficacy with current treatment approaches in randomized clinical trials. These efforts strengthen our motivation to translate neurobiological insights into more effective and targeted neuromodulation therapies.

Achievements

Our research focuses on the cognitive and neural mechanisms of stress-related mental disorders.

• Emotional memory, neuroplasticity, and the effects of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT )

  Beginning with studies of episodic memory and its neural substrates in schizophrenia and depression, our work expanded to emotional memory, neuroplasticity, and the effects of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT )on memory, brain structure, and functional adaptation. Recognizing the therapeutic potential of ECT, I co-founded the Global ECT-MRI Research Collaboration to advance international understanding of its mechanisms and optimize clinical application.

• Established the neurobiological treatment unit at the Department of Psychiary

  We have established the neurobiological treatment unit at the Department of Psychiary, that offers state-of-the-art treatments that are informed by the latest research developments. Our research on the (cost-)effectiveness of Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) has contributed to the placement of rTMS in national treatment guidelines.

  In addition, we are the first center in the Netherlands and one of only few in Europe/worldwide offering Magnetic Seizure Therapy (MST). Next to the more clinical applications we seek to understand the impact of modulating memories in vulnerable subjects with early child adversity and try to translate these findings to new forms of behavioral therapy.

• Clinical neuroscence to understand patients with brain injury

  We dedicate our clinical neuroscence work to understand mechanisms of disruptive behavior particular in patients with brain injury.

Publications

See the publication list of the research group leader on Web of Science.

• A selection of our publications

  • Rovers JJE, van Eijndhoven PFP, Abbot C, Argyelan M, Bouckaert F, Brunoni AR, Espinoza RT, van Exel E, Gazdag G, van den Heuvel L, Kessler U, Loo C, McLoughlin D, Nordanskog P, Regenold WT, Sackeim H, Somers M, Takamiya A, Thirthalli J, van Waarde J, Tendolkar I, Dols A. A Global Delphi-Based Expert Consensus on Relapse Prevention Strategies Following Successful Electroconvulsive Therapy for Major Depressive Disorder. Am J Psychiatry. 2026 Mar 11:appiajp20250641. doi: 10.1176/appi.ajp.20250641.
  • Liu XS, Haak KV, Figa K, Vrijsen JN, Oldehinkel M, Mulders PCR, Collard RM, van Eijndhoven PFP, Beckmann CF, Fernández G, Tendolkar I, Kohn N. Childhood adversity predicts striatal functional connectivity gradient changes after acute stress. Imaging Neurosci (Camb). 2024;2:imag-2-00269.
  • van der Weerd N, Mulders P, Vrijsen J, van Oort J, Collard R, van Eijndhoven P, Tendolkar I. Childhood adversity, stress reactivity, and structural brain measures in stress-related/neurodevelopmental disorders, and their comorbidity: A large transdiagnostic cross-sectional study. Hum Brain Mapp. 2024;45(14):e70025. 
  • Dalhuisen I, van Oostrom I, Spijker J, Wijnen B, van Exel E, van Mierlo H, de Waardt D, Arns M, Tendolkar I, van Eijndhoven P. rTMS as a Next Step in Antidepressant Nonresponders: A Randomized Comparison With Current Antidepressant Treatment Approaches. Am J Psychiatry. 2024;181(9):806-814. 
  • Bovy L, Berkers RMWJ, Pottkämper JCM, Varatheeswaran R, Fernández G, Tendolkar I, Dresler M. Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation of the Medial Prefrontal Cortex Decreases Emotional Memory Schemas. Cereb Cortex. 2020;30(6):3608-3616.
  • Mulders PCR, Llera A, Beckmann CF, Vandenbulcke M, Stek M, Sienaert P, Redlich R, Petrides G, Oudega ML, Oltedal L, Oedegaard KJ, Narr KL, Magnusson PO, Kessler U, Jorgensen A, Espinoza R, Enneking V, Emsell L, Dols A, Dannlowski U, Bolwig TG, Bartsch H, Argyelan M, Anand A, Abbott CC, van Eijndhoven PFP, Tendolkar I. Structural changes induced by electroconvulsive therapy are associated with clinical outcome. Brain Stimul. 2020;13(3):696-704. 
  • Kroes MC, Tendolkar I, van Wingen GA, van Waarde JA, Strange BA, Fernández G. An electroconvulsive therapy procedure impairs reconsolidation of episodic memories in humans. Nat Neurosci 2014;17(2):204-6
  • Gerritsen L, Rijpkema M, van Oostrom I, Buitelaar J, Franke B, Fernández G, Tendolkar I. Amygdala to hippocampal volume ratio is associated with negative memory bias in healthy subjects. Psychol Med 2012;42(2):335-43
  • van Eijndhoven P, Van Oijen K, Van Wingen G, Rijpkema M, Oude Voshaar R, Buitelaar J, Fernandez G, Tendolkar I. Amygdala volume is state dependent in the early course of depression. Biol Psychiat 2009;65(9):812-8
  • Tendolkar I, Ruhrmann S, Brockhaus A, Prukrop R, Klosterkoetter J. Remembering or Knowing: Electrophysiological evidence for an episodic memory deficit in schizophrenia. Psychological Medicine 2002;32:1261-71