Understanding social cognition deficits in autism and psychosis

Neural Basis of Social Cognition Deficits in Youth With Autism and Schizophrenia

This study is testing how a social skills program can help improve social understanding in teenagers with autism and those with schizophrenia, while also looking at how their brains work differently.

Quick facts

• Phase: NA
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 90 (estimated)
• Ages: 12 Years to 18 Years
• Sex: All
• Sponsor: Loma Linda University (other)
• Locations: 1 site (Loma Linda, California)
• Trial ID: NCT05185128 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this trial studies

This study investigates the neural mechanisms underlying social cognition deficits in adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and adolescent-onset Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorder (SSD). It aims to explore how targeted social skills interventions, specifically the PEERS program, can impact brain network organization related to social cognition. By utilizing comprehensive imaging techniques, the study will compare the neurobiological underpinnings of social impairments across both disorders, enhancing our understanding of their similarities and differences. The research will involve 30 adolescents with ASD and 30 with SSD, alongside a control group of typically developing adolescents.

Who should consider this trial

Good fit: Ideal candidates for this study are adolescents aged 12-18 diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder or adolescent-onset Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorder.

Not a fit: Patients with other neurodevelopmental or psychiatric disorders not included in the study may not receive benefit from this intervention.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this study could lead to improved social skills interventions for adolescents with ASD and SSD, enhancing their social functioning and quality of life.

How similar studies have performed: While there have been studies on social skills interventions in ASD, this specific comparative approach with SSD is novel and has not been extensively tested.

Eligibility criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

Participants in this study will be 30 ASD adolescents and 30 demographically matched adolescents with SSD who undergo the PEERS social skills training program. Participants will be between the ages of 12-18 years, and mostly male reflecting the higher prevalence in the population of ASD, and to a lesser extent, SSD. The ASD adolescents will be recruited through the Loma Linda University Behavioral Health Institute (LLU BHI), LLU Behavior Medicine Center (BMC), and LLU Department of Psychology Child and Family Center (CFC). The SSD adolescents will be recruited from the BMC inpatient, partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient, and standard outpatient programs for youth with psychosis. Thirty demographically comparable typically developing (TD) controls will be recruited through community samples, and in compliance with the LLU Institutional Review Board (IRB) standards. Before enrolling in the proposed MRI studies, prospective ASD participants will undergo testing with experienced assessors. Clinical diagnosis will be confirmed using both the Autism Diagnostic Interview- Revised, and the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, 2nd edition. SSD participants will be screened using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID) Axis I diagnoses, with additional modules for assessment of childhood disorders. SSD participants must meet criteria for schizophrenia, schizophreniform, schizoaffective disorder, or unspecified schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorder. All study participants will have verbal IQ as well as Full Scale IQ of 70 or higher on the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence (WASI-II) to ensure they will have the language and cognitive ability to participate in an MRI scan.

Exclusion Criteria:

Exclusion criteria will include history of significant medical/neurologic conditions that would affect neuroimaging interpretation (e.g., epilepsy, tumor), and any psychiatric history for TD controls. Participants with any MRI contraindications (e.g., history of metal fragment injury or metal implants, current orthodontic braces or nonremovable retainers) will also be excluded in compliance with scanner safety standards.

Where this trial is running

Loma Linda, California

• Loma Linda U — Loma Linda, California, United States (RECRUITING)

Study contacts

• Principal investigator: Aarti Nair, PhD — Loma Linda University
• Study coordinator: Aarti Nair, PhD

Conditions: Autism Spectrum Disorder, Psychosis, Social Communication