Genetics of early-onset psychosis in Mexican children and families
Genetic Architecture of Early-Onset Psychosis in Mexicans (EPIMex)
This project looks for rare genetic changes linked to psychosis that begins in childhood or adolescence in Mexican youth and their families.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Boston Children's Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11094697 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you join, clinicians will collect detailed health histories and behavioral information and take blood or saliva for DNA sequencing. The team will enroll about 1,900 young people with psychosis that began before age 18 and 1,900 matched youth without psychosis, and for 400 affected children they will also include both parents and a non-psychotic sibling. Researchers will search for inherited and new (de novo) genetic mutations that may explain severe, early-onset forms of psychosis. The work focuses on Mexican/Latino families recruited at a large pediatric psychiatric hospital in Mexico City to expand knowledge beyond European-ancestry groups.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Youth who developed psychotic symptoms before age 18—especially those of Mexican or Latino ancestry—are ideal, as are their parents and siblings and demographically matched non-psychotic youth for comparison.
Not a fit: People whose psychosis began after age 18, individuals not of the target ancestry and geography, or those unwilling to provide genetic samples or medical information are unlikely to be eligible or benefit directly.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could identify genetic causes of early-onset psychosis that help improve diagnosis, guide personalized care, or point to new treatment targets.
How similar studies have performed: Prior studies show rare damaging mutations are more common in early-onset psychosis, but most prior work focused on European-ancestry cohorts, so studying Mexican families is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
Boston, United States
- Boston Children's Hospital — Boston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Glahn, David C — Boston Children's Hospital
- Study coordinator: Glahn, David C
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.