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-11373932 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project uses clinical information, brain scans, thinking tests, and blood or genetic markers to help predict which young people at high risk for psychosis will develop illness or recover.
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) | $109,032 |
| NIH project number | 3U01MH124631-05S4 |
| Project ID | NIH-11373932 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are young people identified as Clinical High Risk for psychosis—those with recent or worsening subthreshold psychotic symptoms, a drop in functioning, or referrals to CHR clinics.
✕Less likely to help
People without early warning signs of psychosis, those with long-standing established psychotic disorders, or those unable or unwilling to attend clinic visits, scans, or blood draws may not benefit or be eligible.
What this research studies
You may be asked to share your symptoms and daily functioning, complete cognitive tests, provide a blood sample for biological and genetic tests, and have a brain scan at a participating clinic. The research team will combine data from many sites around the world and use advanced statistical and machine-learning methods to build models that estimate individual outcomes like developing psychosis, ongoing symptoms, or recovery. They will check these models against independent patient groups to make sure they work reliably. Validated prediction tools will be created so clinicians can use them in routine care to guide early decisions.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could help clinicians identify who is most likely to become psychotic or who will recover, so treatments can be offered earlier and more precisely.
How similar studies have gone: Previous smaller studies using clinical, cognitive, and brain imaging data produced only modest prediction accuracy, so this larger, pooled multimodal approach aims to improve on past results.
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.
-
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.