Youth-TOP; early onset psychosis in adolescents: Longitudinal Brain Imaging and Investigation of Etiological and Outcome Factors in Adolescent Early Onset Psychosis (2009 -2050) 

The project's full name is Longitudinal Brain Imaging and Investigation of Etiological and Outcome Factors in Adolescent Early Onset Psychosis.

Project period: 2009 -2050

There is little knowledge about the biological mechanisms that lead to the development of psychotic disorders among young people, and treatment options are limited. Both genetics and environmental factors play a role, but there is still much to learn about how the brain is affected and what can increase the risk of psychosis.

In the Youth-TOP project, we aim to gain more knowledge about young people who develop psychosis, a condition that often leads to serious mental health problems in life. The goal of the study is to increase the understanding of the causes of psychosis among young people, and to find new clinical and biological markers that can contribute to better diagnostics, improved treatment, and preventive measures in the future. We plan to continue the project for at least ten years. 

We have established a database of clinical and biological measurements in young people with psychotic disorders and clinically increased risk of psychosis. So far, we have included approximately 80 individuals with psychotic disorders (such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder) and 120 healthy adolescents from Oslo and surrounding areas. Participants are followed over time, and we investigate clinical course, cognition, medication use, and biological markers, including structural and functional brain imaging. We investigate factors that may contribute to increased risk of developing psychotic disorders, such as genetics, immune and infection markers, childhood trauma, and birth complications.

Since psychotic disorders in young people are rare, we collaborate with national and international research groups in the field of psychosis who collect similar data on brain phenotypes, clinical observations, and genetics. 

Youth-TOP is a collaborative project between the University of Oslo, Oslo University Hospital, and Diakonhjemmet Hospital, and is part of the TOP study. NORMENT has contributed to infrastructure and staff to the study. Youth-TOP is funded by the Research Council of Norway and the South-Eastern Norway Regional Health Authority and receives support from Oslo University Hospital and Diakonhjemmet Hospital. Through the project, we also collaborate closely with Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm.

Link to the Norwegian homepage: Ungdoms-TOP - Institutt for klinisk medisin (uio.no)

Publications

Andreou D, Jørgensen KN, Nerland S, Smelror RE, Wedervang-Resell K, Johannessen CH, Myhre AM, Andreassen OA, Blennow K, Zetterberg H, Agartz I (2021) Lower plasma total tau in adolescent psychosis: Involvement of the orbitofrontal cortex J Psychiatr Res, 144, 255-261 DOI 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2021.10.031, PubMed 34700214

Andreou D, Steen NE, Jørgensen KN, Smelror RE, Wedervang-Resell K, Nerland S, Westlye LT, Nærland T, Myhre AM, Joa I, Reitan SMK, Vaaler A, Morken G, Bøen E, Elvsåshagen T, Boye B, Malt UF, Aukrust P, Skrede S, Kroken RA, Johnsen E, Djurovic S, Andreassen OA, Ueland T, Agartz I (2021)
Lower circulating neuron-specific enolase concentrations in adults and adolescents with severe mental illness Psychol Med, 53 (4), 1479-1488
DOI 10.1017/S0033291721003056, PubMed 35387700

Engen K, Wortinger LA, Jørgensen KN, Lundberg M, Bohman H, Smelror RE, Myhre AM, Jacobson L, Vincent A, Agartz I (2020) Autoantibodies to the N-Methyl-D-Aspartate Receptor in Adolescents With Early Onset Psychosis and Healthy Controls Front Psychiatry, 11, 666
DOI 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00666, PubMed 32765314

Wedervang-Resell K, Ueland T, Aukrust P, Friis S, Holven KB, H Johannessen C, Lekva T, Lonning V, Smelror RE, Szabo A, Andreassen OA, Myhre AM, Agartz I. Reduced levels of circulating adhesion molecules in adolescents with early-onset psychosis. NPJ Schizophr. 2020 Aug 18;6(1):20. doi: 10.1038/s41537-020-00112-5. PMID: 32811840; PMCID: PMC7434772.

Wedervang-Resell K, Friis S, Lonning V, Smelror RE, Johannessen C, Reponen EJ, Lyngstad SH, Lekva T, Aukrust P, Ueland T, Andreassen OA, Agartz I, Myhre AM. Increased interleukin 18 activity in adolescents with early-onset psychosis is associated with cortisol and depressive symptoms. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2020 Feb;112:104513. doi: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2019.104513. Epub 2019 Nov 14. PMID: 31761332.

Wedervang-Resell K, Friis S, Lonning V, Smelror RE, Johannessen C, Agartz I, Ulven SM, Holven KB, Andreassen OA, Myhre AM. Lipid alterations in adolescents with early-onset psychosis may be independent of antipsychotic medication. Schizophr Res. 2020 Feb;216:295-301. doi: 10.1016/j.schres.2019.11.039. Epub 2019 Nov 30. PMID: 31791814.