Plasticity is the ability to modify brain functioning and behavior. It is increasingly recognized as a key process in psychology and psychiatry because it is fundamental for the reorganization of mental states during the transition from psychopathology to wellbeing. High plasticity has been shown to be associated with high susceptibility to contextual factors, e.g., quality of life, which ultimately drives plasticity outcome. Thus, plasticity is not beneficial per se, but its value depends on context, and resilience and vulnerability are not univocally associated to high or low plasticity. This implies that preventive and therapeutic strategies for psychiatric disorders, such as depression, should be tailored to both an individual's plasticity levels and their quality of life.

Despite the existence of effective strategies to assess the quality of life, such as questionnaires, there is currently no standardized approach to measure plasticity levels. We have recently developed and validated a method for operationalizing plasticity using network theory. Specifically, we have exploited network analysis to demonstrate that plasticity—defined as the susceptibility to modify depression scores—can be measured at baseline by evaluating symptom network connectivity: the weaker the connectivity, the higher the plasticity, resulting in a greater and faster modification in mood symptoms.

The outcome of plasticity is moderated by contextual factors. Overall, this theoretical framework emphasizes the pivotal interplay between plasticity and context for promoting recovery. Plasticity can be measured through its operationalization that provides a mathematical tool to predict resilience and vulnerability and to develop novel approaches for the prevention and treatment of psychiatric disorder. Contextual factors –from social relationships to the urban environment – are highlighted as key levers capable of driving the reorganization of brain functioning in the transition to mental wellbeing.

About the speaker

Igor Branchi is Senior Researcher and group leader at the Center for Behavioral Sciences and Mental Health, Italian Institute of Health/Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy. His research focuses on the interplay between biological and environmental factors in the onset and treatment of psychiatric disorders, exploiting a complexity approach to mental health. He is also interested in philosophical dimensions of scientific inquiries aimed at understanding the interplay between brain functioning and the mind.

Current efforts are directed towards the study of the interplay between plasticity and contextual factors, such as stressful or supportive living conditions, in defining mental health outcomes. Additionally, his research leverages a network-based approach to operationalize plasticity, enabling the assessment of an individual susceptibility to changes in mental state, and the prediction of transitions from psychopathology to wellbeing.

Programme

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