The Mental Health Research for Innovation Centre (M-RIC) and Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust have launched a new feasibility study which aims to design a trial to explore immune problems in people with schizophrenia.
M-RIC is one of the NIHR Mental Health Translations Research Collaboration’s demonstrator sites, based in Liverpool. M-RIC brings together academic researchers, healthcare professionals, industry partners and service users and carers to co-develop and evaluate new mental health treatments and service innovations.
The Neuroimmune Profiling for Psychosis feasibility study aims to examine the problem that current drug treatments for psychosis do not work in approximately 30% of patients. Whilst it is not yet well understood why this is the case, it appears that some patients’ non-responsiveness to medication may be associated with their levels of inflammation.
The study is an important step towards future medication studies which will examine whether anti-inflammatory drugs can, in some patients with psychosis, improve their symptoms.
Ali Bryant, an M-RIC Service User and Carer Representative, who contributed to the planning of the study, said: “A few years ago I was diagnosed with late onset psychosis and after leaving hospital, I became involved in mental health research through Mersey Care and M-RIC.
“The Neuroimmune Profiling for Psychosis study is really important to me and I’m proud to have contributed to it because new research like this offers hope to people like me who experience psychosis. “
