Dr. Adam Kaplin receives NIH award for research on depression and cognitive impairment in TM

This year for the first time in its history the National Institute of Health (NIH) funded a research project specifically studying Transverse Myelitis. The title of the study is “Depression and Cognitive Impairment in Transverse Myelitis.” The NIH has allocated $885,354 to this investigation over five years. The principle investigator overseeing this work is Adam Kaplin, MD, PhD, the chief psychiatric consultant at the Johns Hopkins Transverse Myelitis Center (JHTMC) and member of the TMA Medical Advisory Board.  He is working in close collaboration with the founder and director of the JHTMC, Douglas Kerr, MD, PhD, who is serving as the principle co-sponsor on this grant. The project seeks to understand the biological basis of depression and memory impairment that are commonly caused by TM. There was great enthusiasm for this work by the NIH grant application review committee, and they noted that the findings from this investigation could significantly expand our ability to diagnose, predict and treat mood and memory difficulties that occur in TM and related autoimmune conditions. Furthermore, the NIH noted that results of this study could help illuminate the underlying cause of all types of clinical depression, not just those found associated with autoimmune diseases such as TM that could result in new and more effective treatments. In addition to the research project, the award will provide resources for the career development of Adam Kaplin. With the recent dwindling of federal allocation of funds to the NIH, this was one of only two such NIH research and career development grants in the Department of Psychiatry awarded this year to the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.