PYLoT Study
Bray Neuroimaging Lab
Bray Neuroimaging Lab
The PYLoT study is exploring how the brain is different in youth with mental health concerns who continue to experience symptoms over time and in those who do not.
Using MRI brain scans to study children, we hope to learn whether certain markers in the brain can predict future mental health outcomes, including depression.
The results from this study may help us improve the early identification and care for adolescents at risk of poor mental health.
We encourage your family to apply to this study if your child is:
Between 8 and 11 years old
Able to attend 3 in-person visits each year, for 3 years, at the Alberta Children's Hospital
Born after 36 weeks and before 42 weeks of pregnancy
If your family has either:
Never sought mental health support for your child, and do not plan to seek it, or,
Sought mental health support for your child for a concern related to anxiety/depression for the first time within the past year
If your child has ADHD and/or learning disabilities, your family is still encouraged to apply.
Interested in joining the PYLoT study? Please get in touch with our team to discuss eligibility.
If you join this study, you will meet with us 9 times over the course of 3 years.
At your first visit, you would:
Chat with one of our PYLoT team members about how you've been feeling at your first visit.
Take a cognitive assessment from the NIH Toolbox— similar to playing iPad games.
At your second visit, you will have the opportunity to provide a saliva sample for the Pan-GEM study.
At every visit, you would:
Let us measure your physical growth using height, weight, and foot length.
Have approximately 90-minute MRI scans.
Answer questions about who you are and your life experiences.
Throughout the study, your family will receive gift cards, small prizes, and educational materials, including a custom brain model!