Creating brain charts to understand schizophrenia and related conditions
Official title: Precision brain charts for imaging-genomics of schizophrenia and the psychosis spectrum
Funded at Children's Hosp of Philadelphia · NIH-11064884 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is working on creating helpful brain charts to show how brains develop in people with schizophrenia and similar conditions, using a large collection of MRI scans to find common growth patterns, so doctors can better understand and track brain changes over time.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Children's Hosp of Philadelphia NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Philadelphia, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2023 |
| Project end | March 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $663,129 |
| NIH project number | 5R01MH133843-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11064884 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research include individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia or psychotic spectrum disorders, as well as healthy individuals for comparison.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with conditions unrelated to schizophrenia or those who do not undergo brain imaging may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research aims to develop standardized brain charts that track brain development in individuals with schizophrenia and related psychotic disorders. By analyzing a vast dataset of over 130,000 MRI scans from diverse individuals, the study will identify typical brain growth patterns and milestones. These charts will help clinicians benchmark individual brain scans against normative data, improving the understanding of brain maturation in these conditions. The research employs advanced imaging techniques and rigorous quality control to ensure accurate and reproducible results.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to improved diagnostic tools and treatment strategies for individuals with schizophrenia and related disorders.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown success in using growth charts for non-imaging conditions, suggesting potential for this novel approach in psychiatric neuroimaging.
Where this research is happening
-
Children's Hosp of Philadelphia
Philadelphia, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Alexander-Bloch, Aaron Felix — Children's Hosp of Philadelphia
- Study coordinator: Alexander-Bloch, Aaron Felix
Related research
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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.