7T Dissection of Antipsychotic Treatment Response - Diagnosed Population

STUDY BASICS

Are you starting antipsychotic medication? Are you 18-40 years old? You may be eligible for a research study to answer specific questions about how the treatment of schizophrenia with antipsychotic medication works. Compensation is provided.

STUDY PURPOSE

The purpose of this research study is to use brain imaging to examine the way that antipsychotic drug therapy works. We plan to study up to 75 patients starting antipsychotic treatment, and 30 volunteers not on antipscyhotic treatment between the ages of 18 and 40. Currently, we do not understand exactly how antipsychotic drugs impact certain chemicals in the brain. Brain imaging may help us to discover why certain drugs work better for certain individuals, and we need to know more about how we can provide the right medication for a particular patient. 

COULD THIS STUDY BE RIGHT FOR YOU?

Eligible participants are:

• Ages 18-40
• Starting antipsychotic medication

WHAT PARTICIPANTS CAN EXPECT

You will undergo brain imaging on a 7 Tesla MRI scanner during treatment initiation. The scan itself consists of you lying down on a table, which then slides into the scanner to take pictures of your brain. We provide you with earplugs to reduce the noise level in the scanner. You will be asked to lie still in the scanner for approximately one and a half hours. 

We will then assess symptoms and how you are doing with treatment every two weeks until the 8-week point, when we will rescan you with the same procedures. We will also check in with you at 24 weeks to assess your overall treatment more long term. We will not be involved in treatment, but will just follow you as you undergo antipsychotic treatment by your regular providers. 

Baseline and 8-week visits will last about 1 and a half hours, excluding the scan. All other study visits (2,4,6,24 weeks) will last about 45 minutes.