Research lines

• Characterisation of neural substrates of vulnerability to psychosis, and relationship with clinical manifestations, in youth in the early stages of psychosis

  We follow-up youth at different stages of risk for psychosis, defined according to genetic and/or clinical criteria, in comparison with healthy volunteers and with patients with early onset psychosis, using clinical, neurocognitive and neuroimaging markers, aiming to understand the relationship between brain structure and function and clinical and cognitive phenotype.

• Multimodal prediction of psychosis in high risk youth

  We aim to discriminate between groups and predict clinical and functional outcomes based on a combination of clinical, neurocognitive, neuroimaging (functional, structural magnetic resonance imaging and magnetic resonance spectroscopy) and blood-based markers (genetics, autoimmunity, biological stress response, oxidative stress).

• Understanding trajectories of change in brain structure / function leading to health and disease during youth

  We are also interested in understanding brain changes associated with cognitive and physical maturation during healthy development, which we have examined in a large sample of healthy children and adolescents. Furthermore, we aim to continue to use a transdiagnostic approach to test specificity of our findings in relation to current psychiatric classifications, and to identify brain based markers of resilience towards mental disease.

• New treatment options for youth with emerging psychosis

  We participate in single and multi-center treatment trials testing non-pharmacological (cognitive behavioural therapy for psychosis) and pharmacological (omega-3 fatty acids, n-acetil cysteine) interventions for treating symptoms of psychosis and improving functional outcomes, preventing grey matter loss following first episode of psychosis, or preventing transition to psychosis in high risk individuals.