Exploring social dysfunction in schizophrenia through brain activity

HYEEG Discourse in Psychosis: A Neurobehavioural Study

This study is trying to see how brain activity during social interactions affects communication and social skills in people with schizophrenia.

Quick facts

• Study type: Observational
• Enrollment: 110 (estimated)
• Ages: 18 Years to 60 Years
• Sex: All
• Sponsor: Douglas Mental Health University Institute (other)
• Locations: 1 site (Montreal, Quebec)
• Trial ID: NCT06978803 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this trial studies

This observational study investigates the mechanisms of social dysfunction in individuals with schizophrenia by examining the relationship between disorganized communication and social interaction. Participants will engage in structured social interactions while undergoing dual-brain EEG hyperscanning to measure neural and behavioral synchrony. The study aims to identify measurable markers of disorganized communication and link them to clinical symptoms and social functioning, focusing on aspects such as motor imitation and verbal coherence.

Who should consider this trial

Good fit: Ideal candidates are English or French-speaking individuals aged 18-60 with a diagnosis of schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder and less than 5 years since illness onset.

Not a fit: Patients with primary diagnoses of substance abuse, severe medical disorders, or neurological conditions affecting speech may not benefit from this study.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this study could lead to improved understanding and interventions for social dysfunction in patients with schizophrenia.

How similar studies have performed: While the specific approach of dual-brain EEG hyperscanning is relatively novel, similar studies have shown promise in understanding social cognition in psychiatric disorders.

Eligibility criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

1. English or French-speaking participants (as dyads matched for language preference).
2. Ages 18-60 years.
3. Patients meeting the operational criteria for schizophrenia or schizoaffective illness as previously diagnosed by their treating psychiatrist, based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) 5 criteria (Zipursky et al., 2020).
4. Patients with less than 5 years of illness onset, based on the time of starting treatment with antipsychotic medication.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Participants should not have a primary diagnosis of Alcohol or Drug abuse or addiction (however, co-morbid substance abuse with a primary diagnosis of psychotic disorder is not an exclusion criterion).
2. Participants should not have a severe medical disorder that would explain psychotic symptoms.
3. Participants should not have a past or current history of a primary neurological disorder that can affect speech output
4. Participants with IQ below 70 or a concurrent pervasive developmental disorder (e.g., autism) will also be excluded.

Where this trial is running

Montreal, Quebec

• Douglas Mental Health University Institute — Montreal, Quebec, Canada (RECRUITING)

Study contacts

• Principal investigator: Lena Palaniyappan, MD, PhD — Douglas Mental Health University Institute
• Study coordinator: Emmanuel Olarewaju, PhD Candidate

Conditions: Psychosis, Schizophrenia Disorders, hyperscanning eeg, psychosis, imitation tasks, interbrain synchrony, motor imitation, motor behaviour