Prefrontal circuitry in UHR individuals

Clinical Investigators: Asoc Prof Stephen Wood, Prof Alison Yung

This projects aims to research the prefrontal circuitry in UHR individuals through an antisaccadic eye movement task, thought to be a neuropsychological marker of vulnerability to psychosis. We hypothesise that although UHR young people will be able to perform thebtask, they will need to use more prefrontal circuitry to do so. This will be assessed via brain imaging performed while the participant undergoes the eye movement  test.

Additionally, the PACE research team continues to lead the world in innovative ways of thinking about psychosis risk. Several papers have been published in the field of UHR research more generally. Many of these have resulted from our successful collaborations with other research teams, notably the Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre (MNC). MNC researchers collaborate with PACE researchers to examine biological correlates of psychosis risk, and their predictive validity for onset of psychosis.