Investigating the effect of a single-dose of levetiracetam on brain function, chemistry and cognitive performance in psychosis risk.

Psychosis is a mental health condition that affects around 3 in 100 people in their lifetime. People with psychosis and people at risk of developing psychosis show differences in a part of the brain called the hippocampus, such as increased activity. This hyperactivity may be associated with cognitive deficits. The basis of this hippocampal hyperactivity is thought to be a deficit in excitation and inhibition of brain cells. Excitation causes brain cells to send signals more frequently, and inhibition causes cells to send signals less frequently. A balance between these signals is important for the brain, including the hippocampus, to function properly. Levetiracetam is a medication often used to treat epilepsy which helps balance excitation-inhibition in the brain. We will use Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), to test if levetiracetam can help reduce hippocampal hyperactivity and improve cognition in people who are at risk of developing psychosis.