Cerebellum–cortex brain connections in youth and psychosis risk
Development of Cerebellar-Cortical Functional Connectivity in Youth and Its Prediction of Psychosis
Researchers map how cerebellum-to-cortex brain connections develop from childhood to early adulthood to spot patterns that may signal higher risk for psychosis.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Feinstein Institute for Medical Research NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Manhasset, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11233301 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You should know this project uses resting-state brain scans and clinical data from more than 3,000 people aged about 5–21 drawn from four large research datasets. The team will create typical developmental 'growth charts' of cerebellar–cortical connectivity and then see whether departures from those charts are linked to psychotic-like symptoms or later psychosis. Imaging findings will be combined with cognitive and clinical measures to identify which brain-connection patterns matter most. The goal is to find early neural markers during development that could help flag higher risk.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Children, adolescents, and young adults (about ages 5–21), particularly those with early psychotic-like symptoms, cognitive concerns, or a family history of psychosis, would be most relevant to these findings.
Not a fit: Adults older than the study age range and people without neurodevelopmental or psychosis risk factors are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could help identify young people at higher risk for psychosis earlier so they can receive closer monitoring or early support.
How similar studies have performed: Prior studies have consistently linked cerebellar–cortical dysconnectivity to psychosis and shown it can predict onset, so this project builds on promising earlier results with larger developmental samples.
Where this research is happening
Manhasset, United States
- Feinstein Institute for Medical Research — Manhasset, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Cao, Hengyi — Feinstein Institute for Medical Research
- Study coordinator: Cao, Hengyi
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.