Predicting outcomes for young people at high risk for psychosis
Official title: Trajectories and Predictors in the Clinical High Risk for Psychosis Population: Prediction Scientific Global Consortium (PRESCIENT)
Funded at University of Melbourne · NIH-11373905 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project will build tools to predict which young people with early warning signs of psychosis are likely to develop psychotic disorder or other lasting problems.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Melbourne NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Melbourne, Australia) |
| Project start | September 8, 2020 |
| Project end | May 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $109,715 |
| NIH project number | 3U01MH124631-05S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11373905 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are young people identified as Clinical High Risk for psychosis (subthreshold psychotic symptoms or recent functional decline) who can provide clinical, biological, and possibly imaging data and agree to follow-up visits.
✕Less likely to help
People without CHR features or whose symptoms come from clearly non-psychotic causes would be unlikely to benefit directly from these specific prediction tools.
What this research studies
You would join a global effort that combines clinical interviews, cognitive testing, brain imaging, biological markers, and genetic information from people identified as Clinical High Risk (CHR). Researchers will follow participants over time with active follow-up to see who develops psychosis, who recovers, and who has ongoing problems. They will use this multimodal data to train and validate prediction models and then turn those models into clinical tools. The aim is to give clinicians clearer information to guide early, targeted care.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, clinicians could identify which at-risk young people need earlier or more intensive treatment to prevent psychosis or reduce long-term disability.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies combining clinical, cognitive, imaging, and biological data have shown modest success in predicting outcomes, and this larger, multinational multimodal effort aims to improve that accuracy.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Melbourne
Melbourne, Australia Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Nelson, Christopher Barnaby — University of Melbourne
- Study coordinator: Nelson, Christopher Barnaby
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Psychosis in diverse settings across the world
This project studies how psychotic disorders show up and respond to treatment in adults with diverse backgrounds, including populations in Africa, the Caribbean, and other Global South settings.
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Psychosis in Diverse Settings: Understanding Symptoms and Treatment Across Global South
A human-facing study will look at how psychotic disorders present and respond to treatment in adults from Africa, the Caribbean, and other Global South settings, using genetic and clinical data.
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A new online brain-scan-style tool to spot early psychosis risk
A new online-based set of tasks and a computer model aims to identify people at high risk for developing psychosis earlier and more accurately.
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Genetic clues for early-onset psychosis in Latino youth
This project looks at the genes of young people with early-onset psychosis and compares them with similar youths without psychosis to find genetic factors that contribute to the illness.
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Biomarkers to tailor rehab for Veterans with schizophrenia
A clinician-scientist is developing a brain-based biomarker to guide personalized rehabilitation for Veterans with schizophrenia.
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Computational analysis of facial expression in early psychosis
Aims to develop computer-based measures of facial expression in people at risk for or with schizophrenia to help track symptoms and guide future trials.
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.