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Trajectories of treatment response as window into the heterogeneity of psychosis: a longitudinal multimodal imaging study in medication-naieve first episode psychosis patients

Award Number: R01MH113800
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF MENTAL HEALTH
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 04/10/2018
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 12/31/2024

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Trajectories of treatment response as window into the heterogeneity of psychosis: a longitudinal multimodal imaging study in medication-naieve first episode psychosis patients - ABSTRACT Schizophrenia is a heterogeneous disorder that likely involves multiple underlying pathological mechanisms, which has plagued attempts to identify rational therapeutic targets. All available antipsychotic drugs (APD) are dopamine receptor antagonists, but clinical response is variable, with a third of patients being partial responders, and a third non-responders. Arguably, those who respond well to APD have primarily dopaminergic abnormalities but it is imperative to also characterize the specific underlying pathologies in those with poor response in order to unravel the heterogeneity of psychosis and effectively develop new treatments. We propose to longitudinally follow treatment response to APD for eight months in medication-naïve first episode psychosis (FEP) subjects using complementary brain imaging techniques. We already have identified provisional markers for several different pathophysiological mechanisms underlying psychosis, including abnormalities in glutamate, brain connectivity, and neurodevelopment that we can track with brain imaging. In addition, we propose to study the changes that occur in the brain in early compared to delayed treatment responders and changes that occur over time in response to treatment. By characterizing treatment trajectories and their relationship to baseline pathophysiologic alterations, we will further complement our mechanistic understanding of the heterogeneity of psychosis. We propose to study 60 well-characterized FEP subjects who are medication naïve and treat them with the most frequently used APD for 32 weeks. We will follow a rigorous longitudinal design to capture treatment response whereby those without an adequate response after 16 weeks of treatment will be switched to another APD for 16 weeks. All patients will be scanned four times: at baseline and after 6, 16, and 32 weeks of treatment. We will use (1) proton MR Spectroscopy (MRS), (2) task and resting state functional MRI and (3) MRI and diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) to measure brain biochemistry, function and structure. Using several imaging modalities has the potential to interrogate different neurobiological aspects of treatment response and will offer greater opportunities for clustering the patterns and combinations of the underlying pathologies in those with poor response. Deconstructing the heterogeneity of psychosis has broad implications for the identification of specific targets for drug development, and to lay the groundwork needed to conduct therapeutic trials on patients characterized by their specific underlying psychopathology.


Issue Date FY	Funding FY	Legal Entity Name	Legal Entity Address	Legal Entity City	Legal Entity State	Legal Entity Zip Code	Legal Entity COUNTY	Legal Entity COUNTRY	Assistance Listing	Award Code	Budget Year	Action Date	Action Type	Action Amount

Issue Date FY: 2025 ( Subtotal = -$114,263 )
2025	2022	UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM	701 S 20TH STREET	BIRMINGHAM	AL	35294	JEFFERSON	USA	Mental Health Research Grants	000	5	5/2/2025	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	-$114,263
														Subtotal = -$114,263

Issue Date FY: 2024 ( Subtotal = $0 )
2024	2022	UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM	701 S 20TH STREET	BIRMINGHAM	AL	35294	JEFFERSON	USA	Mental Health Research Grants	000	5	3/26/2024	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$0
														Subtotal = $0

Issue Date FY: 2022 ( Subtotal = $805,537 )
2022	2022	UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM	701 S 20TH ST	BIRMINGHAM	AL	35294	JEFFERSON	USA	Mental Health Research Grants	001	5	5/12/2022	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$80,555
2022	2022	UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM	701 S 20TH ST	BIRMINGHAM	AL	35294	JEFFERSON	USA	Mental Health Research Grants	000	5	12/21/2021	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$724,982
														Subtotal = $805,537

Issue Date FY: 2021 ( Subtotal = $816,340 )
2021	2021	UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM	701 S 20TH ST	BIRMINGHAM	AL	35294	JEFFERSON	USA	Mental Health Research Grants	000	4	12/15/2020	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$734,706
2021	2021	UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM	701 S 20TH ST	BIRMINGHAM	AL	35294	JEFFERSON	USA	Mental Health Research Grants	001	4	4/12/2021	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$81,634
														Subtotal = $816,340

Issue Date FY: 2020 ( Subtotal = $816,340 )
2020	2020	UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM	701 S 20TH ST	BIRMINGHAM	AL	35294	JEFFERSON	USA	Mental Health Research Grants	001	3	3/11/2020	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$81,634
2020	2020	UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM	701 S 20TH ST	BIRMINGHAM	AL	35294	JEFFERSON	USA	Mental Health Research Grants	002	3	7/14/2020	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$0
2020	2020	UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM	701 S 20TH ST	BIRMINGHAM	AL	35294	JEFFERSON	USA	Mental Health Research Grants	000	3	12/19/2019	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$734,706
														Subtotal = $816,340

Issue Date FY: 2019 ( Subtotal = $743,707 )
2019	2019	UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM	701 S 20TH ST	BIRMINGHAM	AL	35294	JEFFERSON	USA	Mental Health Research Grants	000	2	12/18/2018	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$743,707
														Subtotal = $743,707

Issue Date FY: 2018 ( Subtotal = $735,068 )
2018	2018	UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM	701 S 20TH ST	BIRMINGHAM	AL	35294	JEFFERSON	USA	Mental Health Research Grants	000	1	4/9/2018	NEW	$735,068
														Subtotal = $735,068

Grand Total All Awards = $3,802,729

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Trajectories of treatment response as window into the heterogeneity of psychosis: a longitudinal multimodal imaging study in medication-naieve first episode psychosis patients

Award Number: R01MH113800

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF MENTAL HEALTH

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 04/10/2018

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 12/31/2024

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