How sleep and quiet rest affect memory in people with schizophrenia
Offline memory processing in schizophrenia
['FUNDING_R01'] · MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL · NIH-11249632
This project looks at whether sleep and quiet wake periods help memory in people with schizophrenia by measuring brain activity linked to memory replay and trying ways to boost it.
Quick facts
| Phase | ['FUNDING_R01'] |
|---|---|
| Study type | Nih_funding |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL (nih funded) |
| Locations | 1 site (BOSTON, UNITED STATES) |
| Trial ID | NIH-11249632 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this research studies
You would do brief memory tasks and then have brain activity recorded during sleep and during quiet wake periods to see how memories are strengthened offline. Researchers will look for hippocampal signals called sharp-wave ripples and related replay that support consolidation. Some parts of the work use sounds or other stimulation timed to sleep or rest to try to boost that replay, and related animal experiments help explain the mechanisms. The goal is to connect these brain patterns to real memory problems in people with schizophrenia so new therapies can be developed.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults diagnosed with schizophrenia who experience memory difficulties and who can participate in lab or at-home sleep and wake monitoring would be ideal candidates.
Not a fit: People without schizophrenia, those whose memory loss is due to other causes (for example recent brain injury), or those unable to sleep sufficiently or comply with recording procedures may not benefit or be eligible.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new sleep- or rest-based therapies—such as timed sounds or other noninvasive approaches—that improve memory for people with schizophrenia.
How similar studies have performed: Related work in healthy people shows that sleep and targeted sound stimulation can boost memory, and prior studies show people with schizophrenia have sleep-related memory deficits, but sleep-based enhancement in schizophrenia remains largely untested.
Where this research is happening
BOSTON, UNITED STATES
- MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL — BOSTON, UNITED STATES (ACTIVE)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: MANOACH, DARA S — MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL
- Study coordinator: MANOACH, DARA S
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.