Early warning signs of psychosis in youth with ongoing troubling psychotic-like experiences
Predicting Attenuated Psychotic Symptoms Amongst Youth Endorsing Persistent Distressing Psychotic-like Experiences
This work looks for signs in children and teens who have ongoing distressing psychotic-like experiences that suggest they may develop early psychotic symptoms.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Washington University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Saint Louis, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11326223 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This project uses existing data from the large, U.S.-based Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study to track which young people with persistent troubling psychotic-like experiences go on to show attenuated psychotic symptoms. Researchers will analyze symptom reports, environmental exposures (like cannabis use), and brain and behavioral measures to identify patterns that predict worsening symptoms over time. The team will test whether previously developed risk calculators for conversion to psychosis apply to the earlier step of developing attenuated symptoms. The goal is to find reliable, early indicators that could guide monitoring or preventive supports for at-risk youth.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Young people (children and adolescents) who report persistent and distressing psychotic-like experiences are the most relevant group for this work.
Not a fit: People without psychotic-like experiences or those with established psychotic disorders receiving specialized care are unlikely to benefit directly from these specific findings.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help identify kids and teens at higher risk earlier so they can receive monitoring, support, or early interventions to prevent worsening symptoms.
How similar studies have performed: Prior research has produced risk calculators for conversion to psychosis, but it is not yet clear whether those tools predict the earlier development of attenuated psychotic symptoms, so this work extends and tests those approaches.
Where this research is happening
Saint Louis, United States
- Washington University — Saint Louis, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Karcher, Nicole R. — Washington University
- Study coordinator: Karcher, Nicole R.
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.