Studies

The following studies are currently recruiting participants.

Brain Circuits and Comorbidity

People suffering from mental illnesses are often more likely to have other medical conditions. These additional illnesses are called comorbidity. The purpose of this research is to better understand how a mental illness in the brain may increase people’s comorbidity. The study may help doctors to develop better strategies to prevent and treat comorbidity in the future.

Enrolling: patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorder, control participants without mental illness
Age: 12-88 years
Study length: about 16 hours over multiple visits
Study components: MRI, brain wave recording (EEG), clinical assessments, computer tasks, blood vessel laser and ultrasound, sleep pattern recording, blood and saliva samples.
Click here to fill out a screening survey for this study: Survey


Circuitry-Guided Smoking Cessation in Schizophrenia

The purpose of this study is to provide effective repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) treatments for nicotine addiction in patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders.

Enrolling: patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorder & smoking in the last one year or more and average cigarette per day ≥ 5 in the past 4 weeks.
Age: 22-65 years
Study length: 5-6 months including ~6 weeks of TMS treatment and follow up visits
Study components: brain stimulation (TMS), brain wave recording (EEG), MRI, clinical assessments
Click here to fill out a screening for this study: Survey


Mobile Brain Body Study

The purpose of this study is to examine how stress, sleep, and mental health are related, and the role of brain function in their relationship.

Enrolling: patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorder, control participants without mental illness
Age: 18-65 years
Study length: 1 months including daily smartphone surveys and fitness tracking at home
Study components: fitness tracking, smartphone surveys, MRI, clinical assessments, computer tasks, hair and saliva samples
Click here to fill out a screening for this study: Survey


Enhancing Brain Connectivity in Schizophrenia through Neuromodulation

The purpose of this study is to understand how cognition-related neural structures and circuitries, and cognitive performances in patients with schizophrenia are changed by repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), behavioral cognitive trainings, and their combinations.

Enrolling: patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorder
Age: 18-60 years
Study length: 3-4 weeks
Study components: brain stimulation (TMS), brain wave recording (EEG), MRI, clinical assessments