UPMC Brain Study – 10-17 year olds

STUDY BASICS

Are you the parent of a child who is 10-17 years old, has never had a brain injury, and has no family history of psychiatric disorders? If so, your child may be able to take part in a research study investigating how the brain develops. Compensation and parking are provided.

STUDY PURPOSE

The teenage years are a critical period for brain development. Some mental illnesses, such as anxiety, mood disorders, and schizophrenia, can develop during this time. The purpose of this study is to learn more about how brains change as children get older and are faced with more difficult mental challenges. Researchers hope their findings may lead to a better understanding of brain development in people with mental disorders, potentially resulting in improved diagnoses and treatments in the future.

COULD THIS STUDY BE RIGHT FOR YOUR CHILD?

• Ages 10-17
• No history of brain injury
• No family history of psychiatric disorders
• Able and willing to undergo MRI scanning (no non-removable metal in body, weigh less than 250 pounds, not claustrophobic)

WHAT PARTICIPANTS CAN EXPECT

Participation involves 3 in-person study visits, each of which take about 3 hours. During the first visit, your child will play computer games, answer questions, and complete some forms on paper or a computer. During the second visit, your child will have a brief interview and a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan while they watch videos and play games. During the third visit your child will have an electroencephalogram (EEG) scan. EEG measures brain activity, and MRI takes pictures of the brain. Both procedures are not invasive and do not involve radiation. The study is longitudinal, so your child would be invited to come back for follow-up visits at 18- and 36-months, during which they would complete a similar set of procedures.