ON-GOING STUDIES
Here you will find information on all current and upcoming studies you can participate in. This includes MRI, EEG, and LIFUP research. Please note the eligibility requirements for each individual study as they may vary.
ULTRASOUND FOR MILD COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT (MCI)
Researchers at UCLA are seeking participants for a study investigating the effects of multiple doses of Low Intensity Focused Ultrasound Pulsation (LIFUP) on the symptoms of Mild Cognitive Impairment over the course of three visits.
See flyer for more details and how to inquire at kuhnlab.io/studies.
SENSORY REACTIVITY AND REGULATION DEVELOPMENT
Data collected from this study will help us understand how sensory processing is similar and different in children and teenagers with and without autism, and allow us to investigate how sensory regulation develops, which will contribute to developing better treatments for sensory over-responsivity. We are seeking participants ages 8-15 who are typically developing or are on the autism spectrum.
THE IMPACT OF CANNABIS MARKETING ON CALIFORNIA'S YOUTH
This project aims to define key elements of cannabis marketing content that characterize differential appeal to youth and adults. It will provide a list of content elements appealing primarily to persons below the legal age of consumption. The content list will guide regulation of cannabis marketing to avoid encouraging persons under the age of 21 years to consume cannabis or cannabis products. Healthy participants aged 16-45.
TREATMENT OF ALCOHOL USE DISORDER
The purpose of this study is to see if the study medication, ibudilast, compared to placebo (a sugar pill) is useful for treating alcohol use disorder. Ibudilast is a safe and promising experimental medication. The study consists of an in-person screening and physical exam, a 12-week treatment period including 2 to 4 in-person study visits, a potential MRI, and one additional follow up visit one month after completing treatment. For more information, please call the number linked below and mention the “Ibudilast Alcohol Study.”
ALCOHOL AND INFLAMMATION STUDY
Do you drink alcohol? Are you between the ages of 21 and 45? If so, you may be eligible to participate in a UCLA study on inflammation in Alcohol Use Disorder. This study includes 3 visits (1 virtual, 2 at UCLA), a free brain scan, and completing questionnaires and assessments. Participants will be compensated. The purpose of this study is to understand the role of inflammation in alcohol use disorder (AUD), which may provide future opportunities to develop new and potentially more effective medications for AUD. To accomplish this goal, participants will attend up to 2 in-person screening visits to determine eligibility.
UCLA DRIVING FMRI STUDY
The purpose of the study is to learn more about how people process videos about safe driving. For this purpose, we ask participants to watch videos while in an fMRI scanner. You must be between 18 and 29 years old and drive a car regularly to participate. Participants receive $30 for completing this 1 hour and 45 minute study. Eligibility criteria: 18-29 years old, native English speaker, has a driver's license and drives a vehicle at least a few days a week, owns a cell phone, vaccinated against COVID-19, no metal in body, not claustrophobic, not pregnant.
CARE4KIDS: ENDOPHENOTYPES OF PERSISTENT POST-CONCUSSION SYMPTOMS IN ADOLESCENTS
We are part of CARE4Kids which is a nationwide study for teens with concussion. Eligibility requirements include: 11- 17.99 years of age, fluent in English (parents can be Spanish-speaking), history of concussion within the 5 weeks (35 days) and still having symptoms. Study consists of 2 in-person visits at UCLA Westwood Campus, visits are separated by 2 months and consist of: computer tests, blood draw, possible brain imaging, online surveys. Each participant will be compensated with up to $210.
SYNAPSE
Over one or two visits to the UCLA Semel Institute, each participant will be asked to complete: a set of clinical interviews lasting about 3.5 hours, a set of cognitive tests lasting about 1.5 hours, and one MRI scan lasting about 75 minutes. During the MRI, we will ask you to watch videos and do simple tasks like read brief stories, while we take pictures of your brain. Adults (age 25-65) with a diagnosis of schizophrenia AND Adults (age 25-65) with no history of schizophrenia or bipolar disorder are eligible.
22Q DELETION AND 22Q DUPLICATION SYNDROME: BRAIN STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION IN GENETIC DISORDERS
Study procedures for eligible participants include an MRI brain scan, clinical interview, tests of memory and attention, hair and blood/saliva sample, and review of medical records. To qualify, you (or your child) must be older than 5 years old and have a confirmed diagnosis of 22q deletion or 22q duplication syndromes. OR to qualify as part of the comparison group you must: 1) be at least 5 years old 2) have no personal or family history of psychotic disorders 3) not had a traumatic brain injury 4) no prior or current abuse of drugs or alcohol.
DISRUPTED NEURAL CONNECTIVITY IN EMPATHY DEFICITS IN SCHIZOPHRENIA
Veterans with and without a diagnosis of Schizophrenia, are 20-65 years of age (inclusive), have no significant neurological condition (epilepsy, etc.), have no history of serious head injury, have no alcohol or substance use disorder in the past 3 months
SOCIAL PROCESSING SYSTEMS IN VETERANS WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA
The aims will be addressed using three social processing paradigms: 1) A Pain Rating Task in which participants view painful and non-painful images) A Director’s Task in which participants take the same or different viewing perspective as another person. And 3) An Empathic Accuracy Task in which participants monitor the mood of a social “target” on a video. Selection criteria for all participants include: a) age 20 – 65 years, b) understand spoken English sufficiently to comprehend assessments, c) no clinically significant neurological disease determined by medical history and more.
NEMO
Clinical and diagnostic interviews; computerized behavioral testing; 90 minute fMRI scan. Behavioral and fMRI tasks involve playing simple computer games. Eligibility includes people with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder (not bipolar type); people with Bipolar I or II, with or without psychosis; healthy community participants without either disorder; ages 18-65; must be a Veteran.
REINTERPRETATION BRAIN STUDY IN CLOSE FRIENDS
Participate in a study about emotions with a friend. You will complete emotion tasks during a MRI scan. Your friend will create recordings to help you & play some games. Both of you will answer questionnaires. Looking for friend pairs aged 13-15 and aged 20-25.
LANGUAGE AND THOUGHT
Our research aims at understanding the neural basis of human cognitive skills such as language, logic, music, math, and action. Our experiment involves solving mental puzzles with and without brain stimulation using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). Individuals who are eligible to participate must be 18-years-old or older, right-handed, a native English speaker, and must not have any neurological/developmental conditions or non-removable metal in their body. Compensation: $25 per hour of participation and a free MRI scan of your brain.
PSYCHOSIS RISK OUTCOMES NETWORK (PRONET)
The Psychosis Risk Outcomes Network (ProNET) study is seeking participants for its research study at the UCLA Center for the Assessment and Prevention of Prodromal States (CAPPS). The ProNET study aims to better understand the causes and course of the earliest stages of psychosis, focusing on the clinical high-risk syndrome that sometimes progresses to first episode psychosis. The study is part of a global effort to improve outcomes for youth at risk for psychosis. Participants will participate in interviews and cognitive tasks, provide samples of their blood and saliva, undergo brain scans such as MRI and EEG, and complete questionnaires.
To participate in the study, healthy controls must meet the following requirements: aged 12-30; understand and sign an informed consent (or assent for minors) document; not receiving any current treatment with psychiatric medication; do not have a family history (in first-degree relatives) of psychotic spectrum disorders; no history of medical illness affecting the central nervous system
ALCOHOL AND THE GUT MICROBIOME
This project seeks to characterize the gut microbiome brain axis in people with an alcohol use disorder and people without an alcohol use disorder. To do this work, we collect fecal samples, blood samples, and questionnaire data. We also collect functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data to investigate the brain. Participants must be between the ages of 18 and 65, and drink frequently or rarely.
HOW DOES AUTISM DIFFER IN GIRLS AND BOYS?
Participants may be asked to complete one or more of the following: MRI/fMRI scans, EEG, blood draw, saliva collection, questionnaires, and/or behavioral assessments over 2-3 visits. All study related assessments are free of charge, and compensation is up to $440 for participants. We are seeking individuals with autism between the ages of 7-35.