Scientists scan young brains to map how connections are pruned
NCT ID NCT07569718
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study looks at how brain cell connections change in young adults aged 18-26. Using PET and MRI scans, researchers will measure the loss of these connections, called synaptic pruning. The goal is to understand normal brain development and help identify abnormal patterns linked to mental illness. Participants are already enrolled in a related parent study.
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Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 60 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Jan 2026
- Expected to finish
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Jun 2028
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Males or females between 18-26 years of age, AND currently enrolled in the Parent Project (R01MH067924) Exclusion Criteria: (these exclusion criteria are outlined in the Parent Project) * Head injury with loss of consciousness over an hour. * A vision problem or eye movement problem (such as lazy eye, double vision, blurred vision, or color blindness). * A learning disability and/or ever had an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) in school. * Significant neurological or metabolic illness: Epilepsy, Meningitis, Encephalitis, Diabetes, Huntington's disease. * Diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder. * Participants with, or with a first degree relative, having a DSM IV Axis l psychiatricdisorder. * Metal implants or ferromagnetic objects contained within the body which may interfere with the MRI scan (but not limited to, those with a pacemaker, presence of metallic fragments near the eyes or spinal cord, or cochlear implant.) Dental fillings do not present a risk for MRI. If there is a possibility of metal being present in the participant's body, the participant will be excluded from the study. * Weight more than 250 pounds. * Claustrophobia or uncomfortable in small spaces. * \<70% on the Achenbach scale (either from Youth Self Report (YSR) or Adult Self Report (ASR)). * IQ \< 80 or IQ \> 130. * Pregnancy or lactation, lack of effective birth control during 15 days before the scans. * Currently employed as radiation worker; or participation in radioactive drug research protocols within the previous year such that the total cumulative annual radiation dose (i.e., from participation in the previous radioactive drug study \[studies\] and this study) would exceed the radiation dose limits specified in the FDA regulations (i.e., 21 CFR 361.1) that govern the research use of \[C-11\]UCB-J * History of drug or alcohol abuse (from parent study eligibility).
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As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
The full official record for this study. This one lists no contact details, but it is the first place any would appear.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Laboratory of Neurocognitive Development
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15213, United States
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