Profiling Vulnerability and Resilience for Mental Illness Following Viral Infections

Prior treatment

• Taking following medications: antipsychotics, anticonvulsants, mood stabilizers; stimulants
• Abuse of drugs or alcohol in the past 6 months
• Cochlear implant

Other illness

• History of schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, psychosis not otherwise specified; anorexia or bulimia nervosa;
• Active infection requiring antibiotics therapy;
• Immunosuppressed patient or other chronic diseases
• Signs of active infection requiring treatment
• Use of anti-inflammatory medication on a regular basis for a chronic inflammatory/autoimmune Disorder. Forbidden treatment: corticosteroids, Non Steroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs, immunosuppressant IV-Ig based treatment
• Ongoing fever, infection treated by antibiotics or uncontrolled diabetes type I or II;
• Existing cancer or history of cancer in the last 5 years (except skin epidermoid cancer or in-situ cervix cancer);
• Known HIV infection or clinically manifest Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), Parkinson's or Alzheimer's disease, or any other serious condition likely to interfere e with the conduct of the trial;
• Comorbidity for psychotic disorders, verified by SCID-CV;
• Current and clinically significant substance use disorder;
• Current comorbidity with neurological conditions or severe head trauma, general brain disorder preceding the emergence of PASC, including microhaemorrhages and/or ischaemia occurring during the acute phase of COVID;
• Implanted cardiac pacemaker or auto-defibrillator

Age

• Shrapnel injuries.
  • For epidemiological cohorts (MoBa, TOP, CHS) age between 18 and 65 ya, diagnosis of a severe mental illness (Schizophrenia, Major Depression, Bipolar disorder, anxiety disorders),

Other

• Neuropsychological diagnosis of intellectual disability;
• Presence of contraindications to blood sampling and/or MRI;
• Pregnancy status at the time of recruitment.
  • Other exclusion criteria related to the MRI procedure include:
• Aneurysm clip
• Implanted neural stimulator
• Ocular foreign body (e.g., metal shavings)
• Any implanted device (pumps, infusion devices, etc)

• A depressive episode according to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) criteria in the course of MDD or BD with:
  • HDRS score \> 17
  • Age 18-65 years;
• Signed informed consent, able to understand, speak and write the national language
• Having a positive nasopharyngeal swab for COVID-19 in the last 36 months;
• Age between 18-25 years;
• Signed informed consent, able to understand, speak and write the national language