Research

ADHD:

• BioSORTD (Biological Subtyping On Reward Task data in ADHD) seeks evidence for computational-modeling informed reward subgroups in adolescent ADHD to support the idea there are several discrete biologically defined pathways to ADHD symptom expression.

ALCOHOLISM:

• The BARCS (Brain and Alcohol Research in College Students) study, funded in 2008 by the NIAAA, aims to discover normal developmental patterns of cognitive ability, brain development and scholastic achievement during the transition from adolescence to young adulthood and show how patterns of alcohol use affect them.

• Center for the Translational Neuroscience of Alcoholism (CTNA) Functional neuroimaging of alcoholism vulnerability in individuals family history positive or negative for alcoholism, using selective NMDA mGluR5 receptor drugs. (Part of Dr. John Krystal’s Center for the Translational Neuroscience of Alcoholism.

AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER:

• Neural architecture of social emotional processing and regulation delineates the temporal dynamics of the neural networks underlying social perception, cognition and regulation in people with and without autism spectrum disorder.

BARIATRIC SURGERY:

• Predicting the outcome of bariatric surgery using pre-surgical neuroimaging.

MARIJUANA:

• Neuroscience of marijuana-impaired driving – studies acute effects of marijuana on fMRI tasks related to motor vehicle driving, and blood and oral fluid measures of THC.

• Effects of chronic THC and CBD use on brain glutamate measured through MR spectroscopy.

• Examining the feasibility of a field sobriety test for cannabis-intoxicated drivers.

MODULATION OF CIRCUITS IN AN OPIOID USE DISORDER SAMPLE:

• The opioid overdoes crisis in the United states continues with no end in sight. This study is designed to assess transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) as a potential treatment for opioid use disorder. Active and sham TMS is applied to induce short-term neuroplastic change as measured with functional magnetic resonance imaging. This pilot study will establish effectiveness of induced neuroplastic change in a sample in desperate need of an effective treatment. This study is funded by the Hartford Hospital.

NEUROPLASTIC CHANGE INDUCED BY TRANSCRANIAL MAGNETIC STIMULATION:

• A study designed to induce neuroplastic change using transcranial magnetic stimulation in a healthy community sample and a substance using sample. Functional magnetic resonance imaging will be employed to assess neuroplastic change in groups. Findings from this study will help in the development of targeted treatments for substance use disorders. This study is partially funded by the National Institute of Drug Abuse.

PSYCHOSIS:

• Bipolar/Schizophrenia Network for Intermediate Phenotypes (B-SNIP) investigates the longitudinal stability of B-SNIP CNS biomarker-derived Biotypes in psychotic disorders to help establish a potentially clinically useful approach to the classification and treatment of psychotic disorders using biological data.
• Neurofeedback cognitive training for adolescents and adults with psychosis.
• Psychosis Dysconnectivity examines functional MRI connections in psychotic illnesses focusing on the African American population.
• ProNET (Psychosis-Risk Outcome Network) investigates clinical and biomarker assessments in clinical high risk for psychosis to dissect the heterogeneity of CHR and develop tools for outcome definition and patient stratification. Olin NRC and the IOL Advanced Services for Adolescents with Psychosis (ASAP)  serve as one of the 26 international sites (PIs: Drs. Scott Woods, Carrie Bearden, and John Kane).
• Comparing the long-term effectiveness of behavioral therapies will help patients, providers, and policymakers choose the most efficient and evidence-based community treatments for psychosis. Part of Drs. Matcheri Keshavan and Russell Schutt’s PCORI multi-site project “Comparative Effectiveness of Cognitive Enhancement Therapy versus Social Skills Training in Serious Mental Illness”. This is in collaboration with the IOL Family Resource Center, the Schizophrenia Rehabilitation Program and the Young Adult POTENTIAL Early Psychosis Program.