Computational analysis of facial expression in early psychosis
Official title: Computational phenotyping of face expression in early psychosis
Funded at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai · NIH-11539126 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Aims to develop computer-based measures of facial expression in people at risk for or with schizophrenia to help track symptoms and guide future trials.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | April 15, 2023 |
| Project end | January 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $122,883 |
| NIH project number | 3R01MH132239-04S2 |
| Project ID | NIH-11539126 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with schizophrenia spectrum disorders or those at clinical high risk for psychosis who participate in remote or standard assessment sessions.
✕Less likely to help
Individuals without schizophrenia-related conditions are not the target of this study and are unlikely to benefit directly.
What this research studies
This project uses video data of open-ended interviews and controlled viewing tasks to quantify facial movements with computer methods based on facial action units. It seeks to create objective, repeatable measures of blunted affect that could support methodological studies and clinical trials for schizophrenia spectrum conditions. The work builds on existing facial coding systems to extract time-based patterns of facial muscle activity from participants, potentially enabling better assessment of negative symptoms in clinical settings. In collaboration with Mount Sinai, researchers will analyze how these facial signals relate to clinical ratings and functional outcomes.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, it could provide objective biomarkers of blunted affect to improve diagnosis, monitoring, and trial-ready endpoints for schizophrenia.
How similar studies have gone: Preliminary studies using facial action coding and EMG in schizophrenia have suggested detectable differences in facial muscle activity, though further validation is needed.
Where this research is happening
-
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Corcoran, Cheryl Mary — Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
- Study coordinator: Corcoran, Cheryl Mary
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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.