Senator Carlucci and OMH’s Nathan S. Kline Institute (NKI) Promote Innovative Research Initiative in Rockland County to Study Debilitating Mental Health Illnesses

ORANGEBURG, NY– New York State Senator David Carlucci (D-Rockland/Westchester), Chairman of the New York State Senate Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Committee, today joined with researchers of the New York State Office of Mental Health’s Nathan Kline Institute to highlight its latest research initiative towards finding cures for debilitating mental illness.

Known around the world as the “NKI-Rockland Sample”, this project uses novel techniques to create images of the brains of volunteers from Rockland County of all ages and demographics in order to identify clues about how the brain develops and to find early indications of Alzheimer’s Disease and other common illnesses. This work will lead to new treatments and new strategies for prevention in the future. The data is obtained from individuals between the ages of 6 and 85-years.  All individuals included in the sample complete a comprehensive battery of psychiatric, cognitive, and behavioral assessments, including cutting-edge brain imaging, in order to provide information that allows NKI scientists to explore the complex relationships between brain development and human behavior

Rockland County is a model community for this crucial and innovative science.  Not only is it the home of the Nathan Kline Institute (NKI) but also its remarkable citizens who have been volunteering to participate in this research. These citizens reflect the broad diversity of the entire United States population, while creating a scientifically valuable, representative population sample.

Senator David Carlucci said: “Rockland County has become home to 21st century innovative research that will help find the cures of tomorrow.  By making the wise investments now, we will enable our preeminent researchers to find cures for debilitating illnesses like Alzheimer’s or even Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. The NKI Rockland Sample project has generated more than $7.5 million dollars in federal grant support, serving as an example of how New York State’s investment in research can be leveraged to create jobs while improving the health of its citizens.  I look forward to continuing to partner with NKI and New York State Office of Mental Health so we can save more lives and improve our quality of life.”

OMH Acting Commissioner John V. Tauriello, said: “The New York State Office of Mental Health’s Nathan Kline Institute (NKI) is a national leader in groundbreaking research into the causes of and treatment of serious mental illness. Since 1952, NKI has helped develop many of the current psychopharmacological treatments for schizophrenia and major mood disorders, leading to a better quality of life for countless individuals throughout the world. OMH thanks Senator Carlucci for his dedication to this institution and his leadership of the Senate’s Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Committee, as we join together to help New Yorkers on their path to recovery.”

Dr. Donald C. Goff, M.D., Director of Research at Nathan Kline Institute, said: “The NKI-Rockland Sample is an extraordinary opportunity for an entire community to create knowledge that will help scientists around the world unlock the mysteries of the brain. The children, adolescents and adults in Rockland County are generously giving of their time and energy to participate in the NKI-Rockland Sample, a research project that for the first time covers the entire lifespan allowing us to gain a far better understanding of how the brain develops in both health and diseases like schizophrenia, depression, Alzheimer’s disease, ADHD and autism spectrum disorders.”

In this year’s fiscal 2013-2014 State Budget, Senator Carlucci was able to help allocate an additional $175,000 of research funding to Nathan Kline Institute that will be used to purchase equipment that will further study of schizophrenia, depression and Alzheimer’s Disease.

Recently, with the announcement of the newly formed Regional Centers of Excellence under the purview of New York State Office of Mental Health, within the Hudson River, the Nathan Kline Institute was awarded the opportunity to serve as a Regional Center of Excellence. to be known as the Nathan Kline Institute Research Center of Excellence.

About Nathan S. Kline Institute (NKI)

The Nathan S. Kline Institute is a facility of the New York State Office of Mental Health that has earned a national and international reputation for its pioneering contributions in psychiatric research, especially in the areas of psychopharmacological treatments for schizophrenia and major mood disorders, and in the application of computer technology to mental health services. Since 1952, interdisciplinary teams of distinguished NKI scientists have applied their talents and expertise to study the causes, treatment, prevention, and rehabilitation of severe and persistent mental illnesses.

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