Project Associate Professor
Neuroimaging of Psychiatric Disorders and Adolescent Development
Research
Neuroimaging modalities facilitate the quantitative assessment of brain structure and function in vivo, increasing their utility in brain research. Our laboratory conducts human brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies on healthy adolescent development and patients with psychiatric diseases to understand the mechanisms linking them. Recently, we have reported alterations of subcortical regional volumes in patients with schizophrenia using a large-scale data set from a multi-site consortium. Additionally, we have elucidated the neurostructural and neurometabolic substrates related to the risk of developing schizophrenia. Current research is directed to elucidate psychiatric disorders by revealing their neurobiological substrates and developing biomarkers for clinical applications. In addition, given the importance for MRI researchers to collaborate internationally, to connect human and animal research, and to apply machine learning and artificial intelligence techniques, we collaborate extensively with multi-disciplinary researchers.
Publications
Okada N, Yahata N, Koshiyama D, Morita K, Sawada K, Kanata S, Fujikawa S, Sugimoto N, Toriyama R, Masaoka M, Koike S, Araki T, Kano Y, Endo K, Yamasaki S, Ando S, Nishida A, Hiraiwa-Hasegawa M, Edden RAE, Sawa A, Kasai K. Longitudinal trajectories of anterior cingulate glutamate and subclinical psychotic experiences in early adolescence: the impact of bullying victimization. Mol Psychiatry. 2024 Apr;29(4):939-950. doi: 10.1038/s41380-023-02382-8.
Okada N, Fukunaga M, Miura K, Nemoto K, Matsumoto J, Hashimoto N, Kiyota M, Morita K, Koshiyama D, Ohi K, Takahashi T, Koeda M, Yamamori H, Fujimoto M, Yasuda Y, Hasegawa N, Narita H, Yokoyama S, Mishima R, Kawashima T, Kobayashi Y, Sasabayashi D, Harada K, Yamamoto M, Hirano Y, Itahashi T, Nakataki M, Hashimoto RI, Tha KK, Koike S, Matsubara T, Okada G, van Erp TGM, Jahanshad N, Yoshimura R, Abe O, Onitsuka T, Watanabe Y, Matsuo K, Yamasue H, Okamoto Y, Suzuki M, Turner JA, Thompson PM, Ozaki N, Kasai K, Hashimoto R. Subcortical volumetric alterations in four major psychiatric disorders: a mega-analysis study of 5604 subjects and a volumetric data-driven approach for classification. Mol Psychiatry. 2023 Dec;28(12):5206-5216. doi: 10.1038/s41380-023-02141-9.
Okada N, Yamamoto Y, Yahata N, Morita S, Koshiyama D, Morita K, Sawada K, Kanata S, Fujikawa S, Sugimoto N, Toriyama R, Masaoka M, Koike S, Araki T, Kano Y, Endo K, Yamasaki S, Ando S, Nishida A, Hiraiwa-Hasegawa M, Yokoyama C, Kasai K. Birth order and prosociality in the early adolescent brain. Sci Rep. 2021 Nov 8;11(1):21806. doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-01146-0.
Okada N, Yahata N, Koshiyama D, Morita K, Sawada K, Kanata S, Fujikawa S, Sugimoto N, Toriyama R, Masaoka M, Koike S, Araki T, Kano Y, Endo K, Yamasaki S, Ando S, Nishida A, Hiraiwa-Hasegawa M, Kasai K. Abnormal asymmetries in subcortical brain volume in early adolescents with subclinical psychotic experiences. Transl Psychiatry. 2018 Nov 28;8(1):254. doi: 10.1038/s41398-018-0312-6.
Okada N, Fukunaga M, Yamashita F, Koshiyama D, Yamamori H, Ohi K, Yasuda Y, Fujimoto M, Watanabe Y, Yahata N, Nemoto K, Hibar DP, van Erp TG, Fujino H, Isobe M, Isomura S, Natsubori T, Narita H, Hashimoto N, Miyata J, Koike S, Takahashi T, Yamasue H, Matsuo K, Onitsuka T, Iidaka T, Kawasaki Y, Yoshimura R, Watanabe Y, Suzuki M, Turner JA, Takeda M, Thompson PM, Ozaki N, Kasai K, Hashimoto R. Abnormal asymmetries in subcortical brain volume in schizophrenia. Mol Psychiatry. 2016 Oct;21(10):1460-6. doi: 10.1038/mp.2015.209.
Biography
I obtained an M.D. degree from the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Tokyo in 2004. After a junior residency, I started psychiatry training at the University of Tokyo Hospital in 2006 and then worked as a psychiatrist at Tokyo Metropolitan Matsuzawa Hospital from 2007 to 2012. I became an Assistant Professor at the University of Tokyo Hospital in 2012 and concurrently entered the Graduate School of Medicine of the University of Tokyo earning a Ph.D. degree in 2017, before joining IRCN in 2019 where I manage the human fMRI scanner facility. At the same time, I am continuing research on the neuroimaging of psychiatric disorders and adolescent development.
