Social thinking tests for teens and young adults at risk for psychosis
Official title: Social Cognition Battery for Psychosis-Risk (SCB-PR): A Psychometric and Validation Study
Funded at University of Texas Dallas · NIH-11240317 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project is creating and checking social thinking tests for teens and young adults who show early signs of psychosis.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Texas Dallas NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Richardson, United States) |
| Project start | December 5, 2024 |
| Project end | October 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $645,821 |
| NIH project number | 5R01MH136185-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11240317 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants are adolescents and young adults identified as being at clinical high risk for psychosis, such as those with mild or brief psychoticlike experiences, social withdrawal, or recent decline in functioning.
✕Less likely to help
People without early signs of psychosis or those with long-standing, chronic psychotic disorders may not benefit directly from these specific tests.
What this research studies
You would complete a set of social thinking tasks—like judging others' emotions or intentions—on a computer or in short interviews. The team will check how consistent your results are, whether the tasks pick up small differences between people, and whether scores change over time with symptoms. They will enroll adolescents and young adults identified as being at clinical high risk for psychosis and compare the new or adapted tasks to measures used in more chronically ill groups. The goal is to find reliable, sensitive tests that future clinicians and treatment trials can use.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, these better tests could help spot social difficulties earlier and measure whether treatments are helping.
How similar studies have gone: Some social cognition tests have worked well in older, chronically ill populations, but applying and validating them in teens and young adults at clinical high risk is relatively new and needed.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Texas Dallas
Richardson, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Pinkham, Amy — University of Texas Dallas
- Study coordinator: Pinkham, Amy
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Social Cognition Measures for People at Risk of Psychosis
A study to find and test the best mental tasks that measure social thinking for people who might develop psychosis.
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This study is looking to improve support for people dealing with early psychosis by using special care teams in Minnesota, focusing on personalized feedback and a mobile program to help with thinking and motivation over 12 weeks.
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Understanding how brain function affects social thinking in early psychosis
This study is looking at how the brain works when it comes to understanding other people's thoughts and feelings in people who are having their first episode of psychosis, and it hopes to find ways to help improve social skills and quality of life for them.
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.