Current Research Projects | Boston Children's Research

SleepChart

Have you ever wondered how your sleep changes as you age? The NeRD Lab, in collaboration with the University of Pittsburgh, is creating the first-ever "sleep growth charts" for young people! Just like doctors use height and weight charts, we want to understand how sleep patterns develop from childhood to adulthood. We are using cool, new wearable headbands to track sleep at home and wrist watches (similar to a FitBit) to track daily activity. To get a comprehensive picture of development, we're also collecting hair samples to measure pubertal hormones like testosterone and progesterone. By using these methods, we hope to make sleep assessment more accessible and affordable. Our goal is to identify sleep issues early and support young people's health as they grow.

If you're between 9 and 26 years old and curious about your sleep and how you can contribute to science while catching some Zzz's, join us in this groundbreaking study! Contact nerdlab@childrens.harvard.edu or call 617-919-4126.

Pediatric Precision Sleep Network (PPSN)

Have you ever wondered how your sleep may affect your mental health? We have too! That's why we are excited to introduce PPSN. Over half of young adolescents struggle with sleep, and these sleep problems can predict future mental health outcomes better than at any other developmental stage. We are inviting a diverse group of 1,200 young people from Pittsburgh, Miami, and Boston to join our study. Kids and teens will get to be sleep scientists from the comfort of their own homes! They will get to use cool gadgets like wrist watches (similar to a FitBit) to track daily activity and sleep headbands to measure brain activity while they sleep. That data will help us find unique sleep patterns that could help identify potential mental health problems early, ultimately supporting youth in staying healthy and happy.

So next time you're counting sheep, remember: your sleep patterns might be telling an important story about your health. And if you're between 10-13 years old and you’ve seen your pediatrician in the last year, we're here to listen! Please contact nerdlab@childrens.harvard.edu or call 617-919-4126.

Making Neuroimaging Accessible to All

A girl in a pink shirt and black shorts lays in an MRI machine that scans her brain.

What if getting a brain scan were as easy as getting x-rays at your dental checkup? What if more scientists could ask and answer questions about how brains change as people grow? What if we could bring scientific studies to communities that are often left out? In this research study, we are exploring how a more affordable and accessible neuroimaging technique–low-field MRI–can be used to help understand neurodevelopment and provide information about risk for psychiatric disorders. We’re comparing brain scans from the low-fieldMRI machine to scans from the expensive, traditional machines. If you’re between the ages of nine and 26 and you’d like to help us learn more about brains and how we can best study them, email nerdlab@childrens.harvard.edu or call us at 617-919-4126.

ENIGMA Clinical High Risk for Psychosis Working Group

A blue brain inside a yellow circle with the word enigma in front.

The goal of science is to discover and share knowledge. It’s a collaborative effort over years and across continents. This is why the Enhancing Neuro Imaging Genetics through Meta-Analysis (ENIGMA) Consortium is so exciting! The ENIGMA Consortium embodies that spirit of multinational sharing and long-term cooperation to better understand the human brain and genome.

Together, with co-chair Dennis Hernaus, Ph.D. from Maastricht University, NeRD lab director Maria Jalbrzikowski, Ph.D., leads the ENIGMA Clinical High Risk for Psychosis Working Group. We study people who are at Clinical High Risk (CHR) for psychosis. Help-seeking individuals who present with sub-threshold psychotic symptoms, but do not meet diagnostic criteria for a psychotic disorder, are considered at CHR for developing psychosis. Sites in our working group contribute collected data from a study involving CHR individuals. We pool together the data to answer questions about the brain structure and function of this group with more power than any single study ever could on its own. If you are a researcher who has collected neuroimaging and clinical data from CHR participants and are interested in joining the Working Group, please send an email to maria.jalbrzikowski@childrens.harvard.edu.

Using Electronic Health Records to Identify Youth at Greatest Risk for Severe Psychiatric Disorders

It can be hard to tell which people are at risk for specific mental health conditions; often, we rely on subjective reports and the clinical judgment of skilled providers. But what if we could combine those signs with observable markers that are already in medical charts, to get a more meaningful risk prediction? What if we could intervene earlier to get people the care they need? We’re using electronic health records to see if people who seek treatment for self-harm are more likely to develop psychotic or bipolar disorders. We are also testing if other information in a medical record can help us predict who will go on to develop psychosis or bipolar disorder. We are hoping this information will help us provide early identification and support to the people who need it most.

The Relationship between Digital Phenotyping and Psychiatric Symptoms in 22q11.2 Microdeletion Syndrome

Two white iphones have loading screens of the Ears app. The one in front says you're changing the future of health and wellness. The second phone screens says Great! You are now using the EARS keyboard.

Do you own and use a smartphone? Did you know that data already being collected by your phone may relate to psychiatric symptoms? In this study, we are using a mobile app to understand how our day-to-day experiences – how much we move, the words we use, the music we listen to – relate to changes in mood and psychiatric experiences. We are particularly interested in understanding how we can use this information to best help individuals with 22q11.2 Microdeletion Syndrome. If you are between nine and 26 years old, have a mobile device, and are interested in learning more about this study, please contact us at NerdLab@childrens.Harvard.edu or 617-919-4126.

The Early Psychosis Investigation Center (EPICenter)

light and dark blue brain illustration in a dark and light blue circle going into a dna strand

The EPICenter is dedicated to identifying the root causes of early onset psychosis, improving treatment options and outcomes for patients and their families. We are a collaborative group of scientists and clinicians working with children and young adults with psychotic symptoms, like delusions (false beliefs) and hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that others do not see or hear). The EPICenter is family focused so parents, siblings and extended family are welcome to participate as well. In our research program, we collect a variety of information about clinical symptoms, behavioral outcomes, and neuropsychological functioning along with biological samples in an effort to identify the underlying mechanisms that predispose psychotic symptoms. At the EPICenter, we envision a future where early detection and better treatment results in fewer children, adolescents and young adults suffering from psychosis.

Neuroscience of Risk and Development (NeRD) Current Research Projects