Midbrain hearing centers and hearing voices in schizophrenia
Rôle Des Colliculi inférieurs Dans Les Hallucinations Auditives : étude Pilote Par Neuroimagerie
NA · Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nīmes · NCT07003529
This project tries to see if changes in the inferior colliculi (a midbrain auditory center) are linked to recent auditory hallucinations in people with schizophrenia using unenhanced brain MRI.
Quick facts
| Phase | NA |
|---|---|
| Study type | Interventional |
| Enrollment | 40 (estimated) |
| Ages | 18 Years to 60 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nīmes (other) |
| Locations | 1 site (Nîmes) |
| Trial ID | NCT07003529 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this trial studies
The trial uses unenhanced brain MRI to image the inferior colliculi and adjacent auditory pathways in people with schizophrenia. Participants are grouped into those with recent auditory hallucinations (PANSS P3 ≥ 4 and hallucinations within the past 15 days) and a comparison group with minimal or no hallucinations. Imaging features will be compared with clinical symptom measures to look for structural or functional differences in the midbrain auditory nuclei. The protocol builds on preclinical data showing dopamine D2 receptor expression in the inferior colliculi but addresses a current lack of clinical human data.
Who should consider this trial
Good fit: Adults with a DSM-5 diagnosis of schizophrenia of ≤20 years' duration who can read and write French, have health insurance, can give informed consent, and either have recent auditory hallucinations (PANSS P3 ≥ 4) or serve as a non-hallucinating comparison are eligible.
Not a fit: People without schizophrenia, those unable to undergo MRI, those who cannot read French or give consent, or patients with illness duration beyond the protocol limit are unlikely to receive direct benefit from participating.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could point to a new brain target involved in hearing voices and help guide development of more specific treatments for auditory hallucinations.
How similar studies have performed: Prior functional imaging has linked auditory cortex and language networks to hearing voices, but clinical evidence specifically implicating the inferior colliculi is limited and largely based on preclinical findings.
Eligibility criteria
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * The patient must have given their free and informed consent and signed the consent form * The patient must be a member or beneficiary of a health insurance plan * DSM-5 diagnosis of schizophrenic disorder (based on clinical assessment and confirmed by the MINI 7.0 interview) * Patient with a schizophrenic disorder lasting ≤ 20 years * Patient treated in a psychiatric unit as an inpatient (in non-specialized care) or outpatient or under a mandatory ambulatory psychiatric care programme * Clinical condition compatible with imaging based on clinical judgment * Ability to understand, write, and read French Specific inclusion criteria for the group (SCZ+/HA+) • Patient with a PANSS score (question P3 regarding hallucinations) ≥ 4 (corresponds to PANSS (P3) 4, 5, 6, and 7 patients) AND having experienced hallucinations in the past 15 days. Specific inclusion criteria for the control group • Patient with a PANSS score (question P3 regarding hallucinations) = 1) AND having not experienced any hallucinations in the past 15 days. Exclusion Criteria: * The patient is under safeguard of justice or state guardianship * Contraindications to magnetic resonance imaging, including severe claustrophobia, based on clinical judgment. * Congenital or acquired deafness * Suicide risk, based on clinical judgment * Patient with moderate to severe intellectual disability, based on medical records * Patient with moderate to severe neurocognitive disorders, based on medical records * Patient receiving anticholinergic therapy (biperiden-Akineton, trihexyphenidyl-Artane, tropatepine-Lepticur) * Patient participating in an interventional study involving a drug or medical device, or a Category 1 RIPH within 3 months prior to inclusion * Person under judicial protection * Pregnant, parturient, or breastfeeding woman * Person unable to express consent
Where this trial is running
Nîmes
- CHU de Nîmes, Hôpital Universitaire Carémeau — Nîmes, France (RECRUITING)
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Martin Pastre — CHU de Nimes
- Study coordinator: Martin Pastre
- Email: matinpastre@gmail.com
- Phone: 06 95 55 68 80
How to participate
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
- Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.
Conditions: Schizophrenia, Hallucinations, Auditory