Understanding how CHR individuals process social cues through sight and sound
Official title: Behavioral and Neural Correlates of Deficits in Naturalistic Visual and Auditory Social Cognition in Individuals at Clinical High-Risk for Schizophrenia
Funded at New York State Psychiatric Institute Dba Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, INC · NIH-10687873 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project studies how people at clinical high risk for schizophrenia interpret social cues from movies and spoken stories, and how their brain activity relates to these abilities.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | New York State Psychiatric Institute Dba Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, INC NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | September 15, 2020 |
| Project end | July 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $703,941 |
| NIH project number | 5R01MH121790-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-10687873 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Individuals identified as clinical high risk for developing schizophrenia who can participate in neuroimaging and behavioral assessments.
✕Less likely to help
Participants who do not meet CHR criteria or have contraindications for imaging may not benefit from this study.
What this research studies
If you are at clinical high risk for schizophrenia, this research uses naturalistic movie clips and spoken stories to explore how your brain and behavior handle social cues like facial expressions and emotions. The study combines eye tracking, behavioral tasks, and brain imaging to map how social information is processed and how brain networks linked to social understanding work in CHR individuals compared with early-stage patients. Findings could reveal targets for therapies aimed at improving everyday social interactions and quality of life. Participants will be asked to complete tasks while scientists measure eye movements, brain signals, and connectivity patterns in relevant brain regions.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Results could inform new approaches to help CHR individuals improve social functioning and communication.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work in schizophrenia has shown distinct eye-tracking and brain-connectivity patterns during social processing, suggesting potential for meaningful insights in CHR.
Where this research is happening
-
New York State Psychiatric Institute Dba Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, INC
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Patel, Gaurav H — New York State Psychiatric Institute Dba Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, INC
- Study coordinator: Patel, Gaurav H
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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.