How acetylcholine in the brain connects to psychosis and thinking problems in schizophrenia
Official title: Elucidating Cholinergic Relationships with Psychosis And Cognitive Deficits in Schizophrenia
Funded at State University New York Stony Brook · NIH-11289468 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project uses a new PET brain scan tracer to look at acetylcholine-related nerve terminals in people with schizophrenia and how they relate to psychosis and thinking difficulties.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | State University New York Stony Brook NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Stony Brook, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2024 |
| Project end | February 28, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $797,210 |
| NIH project number | 5R01MH137423-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11289468 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults diagnosed with schizophrenia who can attend imaging visits and complete symptom and cognitive testing would be the ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People without schizophrenia or those who cannot undergo PET imaging (for example due to pregnancy, certain medical conditions, or inability to tolerate the scan) are unlikely to gain direct benefit from participating.
What this research studies
You would be invited to have a PET scan using a new tracer that measures the vesicular acetylcholine transporter (VAChT) in brain regions such as cortex, hippocampus, and thalamus. The researchers will compare VAChT levels in people with schizophrenia to healthy volunteers and relate those levels to symptom ratings and cognitive tests. Visits will include clinical symptom assessments and standardized cognitive testing alongside the imaging. The team hopes to identify cholinergic markers that help explain psychosis and cognitive problems and that could point to new treatment targets.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new non-dopamine treatments or biomarkers that better target psychosis and cognitive problems in schizophrenia.
How similar studies have gone: Early drug trials targeting cholinergic receptors have shown encouraging clinical effects and initial PET work with VAChT tracers is promising but still emerging.
Where this research is happening
-
State University New York Stony Brook
Stony Brook, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Weinstein, Jodi Jay — State University New York Stony Brook
- Study coordinator: Weinstein, Jodi Jay
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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.