Hearing-related brain signal tests to guide schizophrenia drug development
Official title: Auditory event-related potentials as in vivo preclinical assays of circuit engagement for E/I-based therapeutic development
Funded at Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psych Res · NIH-11078871 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project develops animal versions of a hearing-related brain response (mismatch negativity) to help create better treatments for people with schizophrenia or at high risk for psychosis.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psych Res NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Orangeburg, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2023 |
| Project end | April 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $2,338,855 |
| NIH project number | 4RF1MH134118-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11078871 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with schizophrenia or individuals identified as clinical high risk for psychosis—especially those with early auditory-processing or cognitive complaints—are the patient groups most relevant to this work.
✕Less likely to help
People with mental health conditions that do not involve auditory processing or schizophrenia-spectrum symptoms are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this specific project.
What this research studies
This project makes and refines animal versions of a human brain signal called mismatch negativity (MMN) that is often reduced in schizophrenia. Researchers will record similar auditory responses in rodents and non-human primates, study the underlying brain circuits (including excitatory/inhibitory balance and NMDA receptor roles), and observe how candidate drugs change those signals. The goal is to create reliable preclinical tests that predict whether a treatment engages the right brain circuits before moving into human trials. If these animal assays work well, they could streamline which therapies move forward to patient testing.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could speed development of treatments that protect thinking, communication, and daily functioning in people with early or established schizophrenia.
How similar studies have gone: MMN has been robustly linked to schizophrenia in human studies and some animal models exist, but turning MMN into standardized preclinical assays for drug development is still an emerging and only partially tested approach.
Where this research is happening
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Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psych Res
Orangeburg, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Javitt, Daniel C. — Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psych Res
- Study coordinator: Javitt, Daniel 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.