# Disrupted Social Preference in Early Psychosis: A Longitudinal Multimodal Neuroimaging Study

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM · 2022 · $495,210

## Abstract

ABSTRACT
Schizophrenia (SZ) is characterized by a severe and debilitating loss of social functioning. Despite
considerable efforts to find ways to improve social functioning, little satisfactory progress has been made. The
typical age of onset for SZ (i.e., late adolescence / early adulthood) coincides with a period of critical
psychosocial development, during which individuals learn to form and maintain relationships, skills that serve
as a foundation for successful social interactions throughout adulthood. During this period, dynamic changes
also occur in the brain, which could have life-long effects on social functioning. A longitudinal study of
individuals early in their course of illness will provide a window into this critical phase of development, allowing
us to examine potential mechanisms affecting social functioning in SZ. We recently proposed a theoretical
model in which disrupted social preference and glutamate N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR)
hypofunction are crucial to understanding social dysfunction in SZ. Social preference refers to the bias or
tendency for individuals to prioritize processing of social over nonsocial stimuli. This model is based on
convergent evidence from developmental science, clinical science, and behavioral neuroscience. This R01
aims to evaluate the above model using a longitudinal multimodal neuroimaging approach applied to seventy-
two patients with first-episode SZ and seventy-two demographically matched controls. We will recruit patients
immediately after their admission into the UCLA Aftercare Research Program, in which they will receive an
intensive psychosocial intervention, including social cognitive training, for 6 months, as part of the Aftercare
Program. Patients will be assessed at both baseline and 6 months; controls will be assessed only at baseline.
Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), we will measure neural activation by contrasting social
versus nonsocial reward during a social preference task. Using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H
MRS), we will obtain an index of glutamatergic activity (i.e., glutamate levels). The primary regions of interest
for both fMRI and 1H MRS will be the ventral striatum and ventromedial prefrontal cortex. Social cognition and
social functioning will also be assessed. With this design, we will determine whether 1) first-episode patients
show aberrant neural activation and glutamate levels 2) longitudinal changes in neural activations and
glutamate levels are associated with changes in social cognitive performance as patients receive integrated
treatments after their first episode. As an exploratory aim, using a multimodal approach integrating fMRI, 1H
MRS and behavioral assessment data, we will test associations among disrupted social preference, glutamate
levels, and social functioning in patients early in their courses of illness. The findings of this project could
provide a much-needed link between social dysfunction and the pathop...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10356950
- **Project number:** 5R01MH113856-05
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM
- **Principal Investigator:** Junghee Lee
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $495,210
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-06-01 → 2025-02-28

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10356950

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10356950, Disrupted Social Preference in Early Psychosis: A Longitudinal Multimodal Neuroimaging Study (5R01MH113856-05). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10356950. Licensed CC0.

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