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-11373923 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project creates tools using medical notes, brain scans, cognitive tests, and genetic information to better predict what will happen to young people showing early signs of psychosis.
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) | $31,999 |
| NIH project number | 3U01MH124631-05S3 |
| Project ID | NIH-11373923 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants are young people showing early or subthreshold psychotic symptoms (clinical high risk) who can provide clinical information and agree to assessments or biospecimen/scan data sharing.
✕Less likely to help
People with long-established psychotic disorders, those without early/subthreshold symptoms, or those unwilling/unable to provide clinical or imaging/genetic data are unlikely to be eligible or benefit directly from this project.
What this research studies
This project brings together data from clinics worldwide to learn how young people with early or subthreshold psychotic symptoms progress over time. Researchers combine clinical records, cognitive testing, brain imaging, biological markers and genetics to build prediction models for outcomes such as developing a psychotic disorder, persistent symptoms, or recovery. The models will be validated and turned into clinical tools that clinicians can use in practice. The goal is to help match each young person to the right level of care earlier.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could help clinicians identify who needs early, targeted treatment and who may recover without intensive intervention.
How similar studies have gone: Previous prediction efforts using clinical, cognitive, imaging and genetic data have shown only modest accuracy, and this international consortium aims to improve performance by pooling larger, multimodal datasets.
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.
-
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.