OxCIN Global Scholars + WIP

 Presented by Maclean Vokhiwa 

BBC Study: Neuroimaging in the Early Assessment of First-Episode Psychosis

Presented by Hannah Brennan

Abstract: The Baseline Biomarker Check (BBC) study is a translational clinical-research platform developed in Oxford to enhance the early assessment of individuals presenting with a first episode of psychosis. Its core aim is to identify patients at risk of poor treatment response—either due to an underlying secondary (organic) cause or early signs of treatment resistance—in order to inform more stratified and personalised care.

Neuroimaging plays a central role in the BBC study, with MRI performed early in the clinical pathway and serving a dual purpose: (i) to aid clinical triage by detecting potentially treatable structural abnormalities, and (ii) to support research into imaging-based predictors of treatment response. The MRI protocol has been carefully designed to optimise both clinical sensitivity and research utility. It includes sequences tailored to identify structural pathology relevant to psychosis (e.g., T1, FLAIR, SWI), alongside advanced acquisitions for quantitative analysis (e.g.,neuromelanin-sensitive MRI, spectroscopy, and resting-state functional MRI).

In the clinical context, MRI is used to identify abnormalities—such as inflammatory, neoplastic, or cerebrovascular changes—that may warrant deviation from standard psychiatric care. On the research side, the study is investigating how variation in brain structure, functional connectivity, and neurometabolite profiles may relate to early treatment outcomes, with the longer-term goal of identifying imaging markers that can support prognostic stratification.
Ultimately, the BBC study seeks to demonstrate the clinical utility of incorporating MRI into routine early psychosis care, while building the evidence base for precision psychiatry approaches that integrate neuroimaging with cognitive, clinical, and biomarker data.