Two New Studies from Dr. James McCracken are Examining Medication

Dr. James McCracken

The McCracken Lab at UCLA CART recently started enrolling participants for two new research studies. The Long-Term Antipsychotic Pediatric Safety Trial or the LAPS study is a 26-month study to examine the long term-effects of individuals who are taking Risperidone or Aripiprazole. This study is for individuals between 3 and 17 years old who are currently taking Risperidone or Aripiprazole, and have a parent or designated support person available. Participants will come in to UCLA every 6 months and will complete some questionnaires about overall health, will have a physical exam, and some bloodwork completed. Study participants will also report monthly medication and health status. Participants will receive up to $250 (or $50 per completed clinic visit). If you are interested in learning more, contact: 310-825-6170.

The McCracken Lab is also recruiting participants for an exciting opportunity for families to receive the PEERS® social skills intervention through the UCLA PEERS® Clinic for free (normally costing over $3,300) as part of a research study that is examining the combined effects of PEERS® with a medication called L-DOPA. Participants in the study will also receive comprehensive diagnostic and cognitive evaluation, neurological testing, and complete questionnaires, interviews, and psychological, and laboratory testing. PEERS® is a social skills training intervention for individuals with social challenges, aiming to help individuals make and keep friends. What makes PEERS® unique from other social skills program is that PEERS® is evidence-based, includes parents, teaches ecologically valid social skills, and tailors teaching methods to shared social skills deficits. Individuals may be eligible if they are between 13 and 18 years old and have an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Please call us at 310-267-3377 to learn more about this opportunity and to determine if your teen may be eligible to participate!

Amidst the unprecedented realities that we are all actively addressing in our own lives during the COVID-19 global pandemic, we are putting a temporary pause on our in-person events, including research activities that involve direct patient contact. Some clinical trials, particularly those that involve medication delivery, may be continued. Please contact the research study team for more information. In the meantime, our work has not stopped. We are continuing to work on analyzing research data that we have already collected, which is keeping us busy! Please contact us to learn more about enrollment: peersclinic@ucla.edu.