Science

Glossary

Plain-language definitions for visitors reading our science pages.

Everyday terms

CHR-P / UHR: Clinical high-risk / ultra-high-risk — research constructs identifying people with elevated risk of transitioning to psychosis relative to the general population. Not a diagnosis of schizophrenia.
Attenuated psychotic symptoms: Subthreshold psychotic-like experiences that may occur in CHR-P states; presence does not mean psychosis is inevitable.
Transition to psychosis: Conversion from a high-risk state to a frank psychotic disorder under study definitions. Rates vary by enrichment and setting.
NWPT-SM32300: NWPharmaTech’s investigational 300 mg CBD micellar-emulsion softgel. The proposed CHR-P programme would evaluate its effects on symptoms and functioning. Investigational — not an approved CHR-P medicine; effectiveness in this population has not been established.
Pharmaceutical sponsor: The organisation accountable for clinical development, safety and regulatory strategy for a study programme. Here: NWPharmaTech.
DeSci (as used here): Exploring decentralised-science tools and new capital communities to support research financing — without giving community votes over clinical decisions.

Proof of concept (PoC): An early clinical study designed to test whether a candidate shows a meaningful signal on pre-specified endpoints — not automatically a prevention trial.
Bioavailability (BA): How much and how quickly a substance reaches the bloodstream. BA comparisons are not efficacy proof in CHR-P.
Estimand: A precise description of the treatment effect a trial aims to estimate (who, what outcome, under what conditions).
Separately powered: Designed with enough participants and follow-up to answer a specific primary question (for example prevention/delay of transition) on its own — not assumed from a shorter symptom study.