Sleep rhythms and wakeful thinking: early schizophrenia and sound-based sleep help
Official title: Establishing that sleep spindle and slow wave deficits are present, are associated with cognitive dysfunction, and can be acutely manipulated in early course schizophrenia
Funded at University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh · NIH-11300993 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are testing whether improving sleep rhythms with gentle sounds can help cognition in people with early schizophrenia.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Pittsburgh, United States) |
| Project start | June 1, 2023 |
| Project end | March 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $781,301 |
| NIH project number | 5R01MH130376-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11300993 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults diagnosed with early-course schizophrenia and healthy control participants.
✕Less likely to help
Individuals without early-course schizophrenia or those unable to complete sleep studies may not benefit.
What this research studies
In people with early-stage schizophrenia, this project will compare sleep brain waves and thinking skills to those of healthy controls. The team will use noninvasive auditory stimulation during sleep to see if spindle and slow-wave deficits can be reduced and whether any cognitive gains follow. If successful, this could point to a simple, non-drug approach to lessen cognitive problems that affect daily functioning. The study builds on prior findings in chronic schizophrenia and aims to translate them to earlier stages of the illness.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients could experience better sleep-related brain activity and improved cognitive function through a non-drug intervention.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies in chronic schizophrenia showed sleep oscillation deficits and links to memory; this project tests early illness stages and a sleep-based intervention, which is promising but still evidence-generating.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Ferrarelli, Fabio — University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh
- Study coordinator: Ferrarelli, Fabio
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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.