SYON

Deviant Synchronization of Neural Function in Schizophrenia (SYON) is a project that examines synchronization of brain activity in schizophrenia. Through studying electrical activity of the brain in people with schizophrenia, the study explores whether abnormal neural synchronization is most evident at rest or during tasks that probe brain function. The work also includes analysis of the dynamics of neural oscillations to determine whether abnormalities are most evident in the feedforward passing of information from sensory brain areas to brain regions with higher cognitive functions (i.e., finding a sought-after object) or the feedback of information from regions of higher functions to sensory areas. To determine if abnormalities also reflect genetic liability for schizophrenia and are specific to the disorder, the work includes biological siblings of the people with schizophrenia, people with bipolar affective disorder and their biological siblings. We hypothesize that schizophrenia is specifically associated with errant feedforward and feedback processes, while genetic liability for schizophrenia is only associated with errant feedback functions.

SYON is funded by the Department of Veterans Affairs Merit Review Grant.

Conte Center P50

State representation processes help our brains integrate information from our environments and organize different mental states; these mental states are critical in helping people think, feel, and understand their settings. The overall goal of the project is to gain a better understanding of the connection between changes in neural information processing and state representation. This research will help us to understand how people with psychosis process information, and how that information is represented in the brain

FREUD

Current assessments for suicidality and psychosis generally rely on self-report survey responses. These assessments can be limited if a patient witholds - consciously or unconsciously - essential information regarding their psychological health (e.g. suicidal ideation/psychotic symptoms). To mitigate this limitation, FREUD aims to develop a medical device with the ability to detect past or present personal experience with our topic of interest (TOI) (e.g. symptoms of suicidality and psychosis) by using biomarkers of such symptoms. This method will provide clinicians with an objective measure to assist assessments. This is a broad ranging study that brings together neuroscientists, engineers, and machine learning experts. 

Study One

The purpose of this study is to learn more about the effects of deployment on the brain. Through this study, we hope to understand how symptoms of concussion, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), brain function, and other deployment-related conditions change over time. This study’s overall goal is to establish a large, longitudinal cohort of U.S. Veterans or active duty service members (SMs) previously deployed in support of OEF/OIF/OND, including those exposed and unexposed to mTBI(s), and measure their chronic sequelae and comorbidities. 

The CAB Lab is one site in this multi-site national study.  Study One is supported by funds provided by the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs.