The Clinical Core (CC) will provide a structure for recruitment, characterization and enrollment ofpatients involved in the CCNMD proposed research protocols, in particular projects by Abi-Dargham and Laruelle, while maintaining the highest standards of safety and ethics. Missions of the core will include:1) Recruitment. Recruitment will be centralized and will target a broad range of patients withschizophrenia including first episode patients; chronic patients in acute exacerbation; stable outpatients; chronic inpatient s in state facilities. Controls wilt be recruited from the Normal Controls Unit at the New York State Psychiatric Institute (NYSPI).2) Diagnosis / Assessment. We will rigorously diagnose patients participating in the CCNMD' sresearch protocols and characterize their conditions across multiple domains of psychopathology (e.g. trait-related symptom, course of illness, and neurocognitive variables). We will ensure uniformity of assessmenfs and measures over timei by centralizing the training of raters to achieve and maintain interrater reiiability.3) We will oversee the flow of patients between the dlfferent protocols while oni the Schizophrenia Research Unit at NYSPt (SRU), and their treatment and follow up in the Schizophrenia Research Clinic (SRC). We will also colllect blood samples for genetic studies which will be centralized in Conrad Giiiiam's Genome Center.4) Committee for Eillics and Safety: This committee will review the ethical aspects of all studies. In particular, issues relating to medication washouts and capacity evaluations in vulnerable populations will be at the center of this committee's concerns, to ensure protection and safety of research subjects.
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