BEAM: Brain Exploration in Adolescent Minds v1.0
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Deep Microstructural Phenotyping of the Developing Brain - a comprehensive longitudinal characterisation of brain microstructural development in adolescence.
IRAS ID
366142
Contact name
Marianne van den Bree
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Cardiff University
Duration of Study in the UK
9 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Late childhood and teenage years are key stages for developing thinking skills that shape how we function throughout life. Abilities like planning, understanding others, and managing emotions all grow rapidly during this time, alongside changes in the brain. When this development is disrupted, it can lead to mental health problems. Scientists know a lot about large-scale brain changes, but much less about the fine details of brain structure and how these affect thinking and mental health.
Rare genetic conditions have helped researchers learn about common physical and mental health disorders. With better genetic testing, more children are being diagnosed with conditions that carry a high risk for learning difficulties and mental health challenges. Studying children with these genetic changes gives us a unique window into how brain development can be affected.
One group of genetic changes, called Copy Number Variants (CNVs), involves missing or extra pieces of chromosomes. These changes are linked to changes in brain development and higher risk for conditions like ADHD, autism, anxiety, and schizophrenia. For example, people with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11.2DS) are missing about 40 genes, but their thinking skills and mental health vary a lot. We want to find out whether differences in the brain’s fine structures can help explain why some children with CNVs might be more affected than others.
This research is part of a larger study with typically developing (TD) adolescents; however, the TD group is considered in a separate ethics application. The research will revolutionise our understanding of the interplay between microstructure and cognitive, social and emotional development in typically developing (TD) and atypically developing (AD) adolescents, helping to facilitate early detection of mental health risk and provide evidence for interventions, including identifying potential neural therapeutic targets. It will also form a unique database for sharing through managed access.
REC name
London - Camden & Kings Cross Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
26/LO/0325
Date of REC Opinion
11 May 2026
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion