Developing Biomarker-Supported SSD Prevention

About This Grant

Project summary: The earliest prevention intervention currently available for schizophrenia spectrum disorder (SSD) targets the clinical high-risk for psychosis stage, but conversion to full psychosis remains high even with intensive prevention efforts at this stage. The proposed study will test a novel approach to develop preventive intervention for SSD in at risk but clinically still normal children before typical age of clinical high-risk and SSD onset, by relying on brain imaging pattern-based biomarker(s) that can track SSD risk effects on the brain. The project will recruit children aged 9 to 18 with significant family history of SSD and other modifiable risk factors but no subclinical or clinical psychosis and randomize them into family-based risk reduction therapy versus active control therapy. Participants will complete MRI and clinical and neuropsychological assessments at baseline, after 16 weeks of family-based risk reduction therapy, and 16 weeks after intervention has ended. The proposal will integrate evidence-based interventions for risk factors that are known to contribute to SSD and evaluate the intervention effects on SSD-like brain patterns in children. The trial will test the hypotheses that SSD risk factors contribute to SSD-like brain patterns in children before clinical psychosis while risk reduction intervention will significantly normalize the proposed biomarker through mitigating SSD risks and their effects on brain development.