Anjali Sankar
Assistant Professor Adjunct of PsychiatryCards
About
Research
Publications
2025
Relation Between Brain Morphological Features and Psychiatric Hospitalization Risk in Major Depressive and Bipolar Disorders
Miskowiak K, Macoveanu J, Ozenne B, Beaman E, Dam V, Fisher P, Knudsen G, Kessing L, Jørgensen M, Frokjaer V, Sankar A. Relation Between Brain Morphological Features and Psychiatric Hospitalization Risk in Major Depressive and Bipolar Disorders. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica 2025 PMID: 39980329, DOI: 10.1111/acps.13790.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchBipolar disorderPsychiatric hospitalHippocampal asymmetryMood disordersMatter volumeCognitive functionRisk of relapseStructural magnetic resonance imaging scansHippocampal gray matter volumeWhole-brain white matter volumeRight hippocampus volumeBrain morphological featuresGray matter volumeBrain structural measuresMarker of cognitive functionExploratory analysisWhite matter volumePrefrontal volumesDepressive disorderMajor depressionPsychiatric rehospitalizationBrain reserveHippocampus volumeMagnetic resonance imaging scansRisk of hospitalizationChronotherapeutic intervention targeting emotion regulation brain circuitry, symptoms, and suicide risk in adolescents and young adults with bipolar disorder: a pilot randomised trial
Kim J, Sankar A, Marks R, Carrubba E, Lecza B, Quatrano S, Spencer L, Constable R, Pittman B, Lebowitz E, Silverman W, Swartz H, Blumberg H. Chronotherapeutic intervention targeting emotion regulation brain circuitry, symptoms, and suicide risk in adolescents and young adults with bipolar disorder: a pilot randomised trial. BMJ Mental Health 2025, 28: e301338. PMID: 39971594, PMCID: PMC11840897, DOI: 10.1136/bmjment-2024-301338.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsBipolar disorderEmotion regulationSuicide riskBrain circuitryChronotherapeutic interventionsEmotional face stimuliLeft amygdala responseRisk of bipolar disorderTargeting emotion regulationReduce suicide riskHigher suicide riskYoung adultsFunctional MRI dataPost-treatment improvementAmygdala responsePotential intervention targetsEmotion dysregulationMania symptomsMood episodesFace stimuliCircuitry dysfunctionRegulation therapyDaily rhythmsWeekly sessionsSelf-monitoringPREDICTING DEPRESSED AND ELEVATED MOOD SYMPTOMATOLOGY IN BIPOLAR DISORDER USING BRAIN FUNCTIONAL CONNECTOMES
Sankar *, Shen X, Colic L, Goldman D, Villa L, Kim J, Pittman B, Scheinost D, Constable R, Blumberg H. PREDICTING DEPRESSED AND ELEVATED MOOD SYMPTOMATOLOGY IN BIPOLAR DISORDER USING BRAIN FUNCTIONAL CONNECTOMES. The International Journal Of Neuropsychopharmacology 2025, 28: i15-i15. PMCID: PMC11814904, DOI: 10.1093/ijnp/pyae059.027.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConnectome-based predictive modelingBipolar disorderMood symptomatologyMood symptomsFunctional connectomeYoung Mania Rating ScaleFunctional magnetic resonance imaging dataPredictors of functional impairmentEmotion processing taskMania Rating ScaleMood symptom severityMood symptom scoresBrain functional connectomeMagnetic resonance imaging dataBrain function disturbancesHamilton DepressionPredicting depressionSymptom severityRating ScaleFunctional impairmentDisordersMoodSymptomatologyProcessing tasksDepression
2024
Consistent evidence that brain serotonin 2A receptor binding is positively associated with personality-based risk markers of depression
Høgsted E, Beliveau V, Ozenne B, Madsen M, Svarer C, Dam V, Johansen A, Fisher P, Knudsen G, Frokjaer V, Sankar A. Consistent evidence that brain serotonin 2A receptor binding is positively associated with personality-based risk markers of depression. The British Journal Of Psychiatry 2024, 226: 137-143. PMID: 39632615, DOI: 10.1192/bjp.2024.143.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchFacets of neuroticismCortisol awakening responseHPA axis functionR bindingReduce neuroticismAxis functionPositron emission tomographyNEO Personality InventoryNEO-PI-RAssessment of neuroticismSerotonin 2A receptorMarkers of depressionTreatment of depressionPersonality InventoryMood symptomsAwakening responseNeuroticismPositive associationLatent variable modelsSelf-consciousnessDepressionReceptor bindingNovel interventionsPsilocybinFindings prompt considerationTowards a neurodevelopmental model of bipolar disorder: a critical review of trait- and state-related functional neuroimaging in adolescents and young adults
Colic L, Sankar A, Goldman D, Kim J, Blumberg H. Towards a neurodevelopmental model of bipolar disorder: a critical review of trait- and state-related functional neuroimaging in adolescents and young adults. Molecular Psychiatry 2024, 30: 1089-1101. PMID: 39333385, PMCID: PMC11835756, DOI: 10.1038/s41380-024-02758-4.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchFunctional magnetic resonance imagingVentral prefrontal cortexBipolar disorderPrefrontal cortexNeurodevelopmental modelBrain systemsMood statesFunctional magnetic resonance imaging studyModel of bipolar disorderProcessing of rewardAcute mood statesRegulation of emotionVentral cortical regionsYoung adultsFunctional imaging findingsTrait vulnerabilityMood episodesSyndromal BDNeuroimaging evidenceFunctional neuroanatomyBrain differencesNeuroimaging studiesNeurodevelopmental mechanismsPrecentral gyrusBrain regionsMagnetic resonance imaging of regional gray matter volume in persons who died by suicide
Deininger-Czermak E, Spencer L, Zoelch N, Sankar A, Gascho D, Guggenberger R, Mathieu S, Thali M, Blumberg H. Magnetic resonance imaging of regional gray matter volume in persons who died by suicide. Molecular Psychiatry 2024, 30: 1029-1033. PMID: 39237718, PMCID: PMC11835744, DOI: 10.1038/s41380-024-02730-2.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchGray matter volumeMatter volumeBrain regionsIn vivo neuroimaging researchRegional gray matter volumeGray matter volume measurementsBrain voxel-based analysisStudy of suicideEmotion regulationNeuroimaging researchSuicide attemptsSelf-perceptionSuicideCompare personsMagnetic resonance imagingSuicide deathsPersonsBrainAmygdalaInsulaStriatumNeuroimagingMotivationIndividualsHypothesisNeocortical serotonin 2A receptor binding, neuroticism and risk of developing depression in healthy individuals
Sankar A, Ziersen S, Ozenne B, Dam V, Beaman E, Kessing L, Fisher P, Budtz-Jørgensen E, Knudsen G, Miskowiak K, Frokjaer V. Neocortical serotonin 2A receptor binding, neuroticism and risk of developing depression in healthy individuals. Nature Mental Health 2024, 2: 1231-1238. DOI: 10.1038/s44220-024-00299-x.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchRisk of depressionFacets of neuroticismPersonality trait neuroticismPathophysiology of depressionSerotonin 2A receptorMolecular brain imagingHigh neuroticismTrait neuroticismDepressive episodeNeuroticismDepression diagnosisHealthy individualsDepressionReceptor bindingBrain imagingDanish registersCause-specific Cox regression analysesEvaluation of clinical strategiesIndividualsCox regression analysisPsychotherapyClinical strategiesPsychedelicsSerotoninRegression analysisSocial rhythm therapy and suicide propensity in adolescents and young adults with mood disorders
Robbins A, Hiroi R, Marks R, Carrubba E, Lecza B, Quatrano S, Sankar A, Lebowitz E, Silverman W, Swartz H, Blumberg H. Social rhythm therapy and suicide propensity in adolescents and young adults with mood disorders. Neuroscience Applied 2024, 3: 105313. DOI: 10.1016/j.nsa.2024.105313.Peer-Reviewed Original Research
2023
Association between brain serotonin 4 receptor binding and reactivity to emotional faces in depressed and healthy individuals
Sankar A, Ozenne B, Dam V, Svarer C, Jørgensen M, Miskowiak K, Frokjaer V, Knudsen G, Fisher P. Association between brain serotonin 4 receptor binding and reactivity to emotional faces in depressed and healthy individuals. Translational Psychiatry 2023, 13: 165. PMID: 37169780, PMCID: PMC10175268, DOI: 10.1038/s41398-023-02440-3.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsResponses to emotional facesFunctional magnetic resonance imagingEmotional facesNeural responsesNeural responses to emotional stimuliEmotional face-matching taskNeural processing of emotionResponses to emotional stimuliPositron emission tomographyEmotional processing biasesFace-matching taskProcessing of emotionsHealthy controlsAntidepressant treatmentBrain serotonergicProcessing biasesDepressive disorderEmotional processingEmotional stimuliSerotonergic signalingMDDMatching taskBrain functionLatent variable modelsDepression statusSerotonin 4 Receptor Brain Binding in Major Depressive Disorder and Association With Memory Dysfunction
Köhler-Forsberg K, Dam V, Ozenne B, Sankar A, Beliveau V, Landman E, Larsen S, Poulsen A, Ip C, Jørgensen A, Meyer M, Stenbæk D, Eiberg H, Madsen J, Svarer C, Jørgensen M, Frokjaer V, Knudsen G. Serotonin 4 Receptor Brain Binding in Major Depressive Disorder and Association With Memory Dysfunction. JAMA Psychiatry 2023, 80: 296-304. PMID: 36753296, PMCID: PMC9909578, DOI: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2022.4539.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsMemory dysfunctionUntreated MDDDepressive disorderReceptor bindingHealthy controlsModerate to severe depressive episodePositron emission tomographyMajor depressive disorderSevere depressive episodeVerbal memory performanceNeurobiological signatureDepressive episodeVerbal memoryMemory performanceCognitive domainsDepression trialsMDDDepressive stateBrain bindingCognitive testsCognitive functionGroup differencesAssociated with improved learningSerotonin-4Adult participants
News
News
- February 20, 2025Source: BMJ Mental Health
Chronotherapeutic Intervention Targeting Emotion Regulation Brain Circuitry, Symptoms, and Suicide Risk in Adolescents and Young adults With Bipolar Disorder: A Pilot Randomised Trial
- July 30, 2021Source: The American Journal of Psychotherapy
Telehealth Social Rhythm Therapy to Reduce Mood Symptoms and Suicide Risk Among Adolescents and Young Adults With Bipolar Disorder
- June 09, 2020
Department's Psychology Section a Major Contributor During COVID-19 Pandemic
- March 22, 2019
Sankar receives competitive travel award to attend Wisconsin Symposium on Emotion