(NIMH)
PI: Philip Szeszko, Ph.D. (718) 470-8489
Contact: Julia Betensky, (718) 470-8415
The first generation of neuroimaging studies showed that anatomic pathology is present at the first episode of schizophrenia. The major goal of this project is to distinguish deficits reflecting static encephalopathy from those that progress with the illness.

Identifying & Characterizing Prodromal Schizophrenia
(NIMH)
PI and Contact: Todd Lencz, Ph.D. (516) 470-6951
This K01 award presents a plan for the assessment and characterization of the schizophrenia prodrome. Research will utilize both self-report questionnaire measures and functional magnetic resonance imaging (FMRI).

Neuroanatomic Abnormalities in Adolescents at Clinical Risk For Schizophrenia
(NARSAD)
PI and Contact: Todd Lencz, Ph.D. (516) 470-6951
Structural MRI studies of prodromal adolescent schizophrenia patients and adolescent controls to identify brain abnormalities preceding onset of psychosis.

Neuroimaging Studies of Frontal Lobe Pathology in OCD
(NIMH)
PI: Philip Szeszko, Ph.D.
Contact: Julia Betensky (718) 470-8415
Study evaluates brain structure and function in individuals, age 16 to 40, with OCD.

Early Onset Schizophrenia - Neuroimaging Studies
(NIMH)
PI: Sanjiv Kumra, MD
Contact: Kelly Cervellione (718) 470-4231
Research study assessing brain structure and function in adolescents, ages 10 to 18, with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder.

White Matter Integrity in Bipolar Disorder
(Stanley Grant)
PI: Philip Szeszko, Ph.D
Contact: Julia Betensky (718) 470-8415
To investigate the potential role of white matter abnormalities in adults with bipolar disorder.

White Matter Abnormalities in Bipolar Adolescents
(NIMH)
PI: Vivian Kafantaris, MD
Contact: Alison Berest (718) 470-8362
Study examines structural MRI and diffuser tensor imaging abnormalities in white matter in adolescents with bipolar disorder and healthy age matched controls.

Cannabis : Impairment Of Pre- Frontal Cortex Development
(NARSAD)
PI: Sanjiv Kumra, MD
Contact: Kelly Cervellione (718) 470-4231
This study evaluates the effects of recurrent exposure to cannabis on the developing brain using diffuser tensor imaging.

Genetics of Brain Structure & Function
(NARSAD)
PI: Philip Szeszko, Ph.D.
Contact: Julia Betensky (718) 470-8415
To examine the relationship between genes and brain morphology in individuals in their first episode of schizophrenia.

ADHD: A Controlled Diffusion Tensor Imaging Study
(NIMH)
PI: Manzar Ashtari, Ph.D. (718) 470-7328
Contact: Carloyn Mcilree (718) 470-4587
This study tests whether children with ADHD will have alterations in brain white matter integrity and whether measures of prefrontal cortical white matter fractional anistropy will be correlated with performance on selected neurocognitive tests thought to be mediated by frontal systems.

Hypotension and Brain MRI: Depression in Aged Hypertensives
(NIA)
PI: Blaine Greenwald, MD
Contact: Elisse Kramer, Ph.D. (718) 470-8174
This study examines the relationship between brain structure and depression in older patients with hypertension.

Pet Studies of Cholinergic Modulation in Alzheimer’s
(NIMH)
PI: Gwenn S. Smith, Ph.D.
Contact: Susan Ray (718) 470-8442
Cholinergic modulation of monoamine function (serotonin, dopamine) will be measured in normal aging and in alzheimer’s disease (AD) patients to test the hypothesis that the ability of acetylcholine to modulate monoamine function is altered in patients with alzheimer's disease.

Pet Studies of Neurotransmitter Interactions in Humans
(NIMH)
PI: Gwenn S. Smith, Ph.D.
Contact: Susan Ray (718) 470-8442
This project focuses on the application of pet to the characterization of serotonin modulation of dopamine and serotonin responsiveness in patients with schizophrenia.

Serotonin Modulation & Function in Geriatric Neuropsychiatry
(NIMH)
PI: Gwenn S. Smith, Ph.D.
Contact: Susan Ray (718) 470-8442
The glucose metabolic response to acute, intravenous citalopram administration will be evaluated in normal aging and in patients with geriatric depression. The glucose metabolic response to chronic treatment with citalopram will also be evaluated in patients with geriatric depression.

Pet Studies of Glucocorticoid Modulation in Psychotic Depression
(NARSAD)
PI: Gwenn S. Smith, Ph.D.
Contact: Susan Ray (718) 470-8442
The goal of this study is to measure the effects of glucocorticoid antagonist treatment on cerebral glucose metabolism and dopamine (D2) receptor binding in patients with psychotic depression.