View clinical trials related to Schizophrenia.
Filter by:The purpose of this study is to investigate the cognitive effects of different electrical stimulation modalities, such as transcranial direct and random-noise stimulation over the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, in schizophrenia.
The purpose of this clinical trial is to investigate neural markers of target engagement to further develop auditory control enhancement (ACE) as a novel, inexpensive, and noninvasive intervention to address treatment-refractory auditory hallucinations. Here, we will address questions about the feasibility and acceptability of ACE, as well as the degree to which ACE results in measurable engagement of biophysical and neurophysiological targets. Participants will complete: - Auditory Control Enhancement (ACE): Participants will be assigned by chance (such as a coin flip) into one of two groups to receive a different dosage or level of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) during three sessions of cognitive training. tDCS is used to stimulate the brain for a short period of time. For tDCS one or two thin wet sponges are placed on the head and/or upper arm. The sponges will be connected to electrodes which will deliver a very weak electrical current. The Neuroelectrics Starstim 32 will be used to deliver tDCS. - Interviews: Before and after ACE, in two separate sessions, participants will be asked questions about a) background; b) functioning in daily life and across different phases of your life and past, present and future medical records. - Cognitive Tests: During the interview sessions, participants will also perform cognitive tests. Participants will be asked to complete computerized and pen-and-paper tests of attention, concentration, reading, and problem-solving ability. - EEG scan: Participants will be asked to complete EEG (electroencephalography) studies before and after ACE training. EEG will be measured using the same Neuroelectrics Starstim 32 system used for tDCS. EEG measures the natural activity of the brain using small sensors placed on the scalp. These sensors use conductive gel to provide a connection suitable for recording brain activity. During EEG, participants will watch a silent video while sounds are played over headphones, or sometimes count the sounds. In addition to these auditory tasks, participants will also be asked to perform visual attention tasks, such pressing a button for a letter or image. - Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Scan: Participants will also be asked to complete MRI studies before and after ACE training. An MRI is a type of brain scan that takes pictures of the brain that will later be used to create a 3D model of the brain. The MRI does not use radiation, but rather radio waves, a large magnet and a computer to create the images. Researchers will compare individuals receiving ACE to those receiving sham tDCS during cognitive training to determine effects of ACE.
This study purpose is to perform a pilot mechanistic trial repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) clinical trial in 34 people with schizophrenia (Sz). The trial will evaluate whether inhibitory 1 Hertz (Hz) rTMS targeting motor cortex can increase brain inhibition reflected in a decrease in the short-interval intracortical inhibition (SICI) score from pre-to-post-treatment. We will also collect preliminary data on the effect of rTMS on the resting functional connectivity of the motor cortex and other brain regions and the relationship of change in SICI to change in cognitive performance
The purpose of the study is to compare the effectiveness of stimulation of the left precuneus by intermittent Theta Burst Stimulation to placebo stimulation on the severity of schizophrenia symptoms.
This study aims to test the feasibility and acceptability of a brief behavioral intervention that combines two treatments, Motivational Interviewing (MI) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), that have been shown to work in prior research studies. The format of the intervention will be a combination of in-person sessions and remote elements delivered via mobile phone (together called MI-CBTech). The goal of the intervention is to improve community integration in Veterans with serious mental illness (SMI) who have experienced homelessness. A time- and format-matched control arm will include remote mindfulness training. 50 Veterans with SMI experiencing homelessness will be randomized to one of the two arms (25 per arm).
An exploratory, double-arm, 4-week study to explore the feasibility and acceptability of abbreviated treatment with CT-156 for people with Schizophrenia.
The effectiveness of current treatment options for sociocognitive deficits and negative symptoms (NS) in schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD) remains limited. The cause of NS is thought to be an interference between the mesocorticolimbic dopamine system for social reward expectancy and the network for socioemotional processes. Oxytocin (OXT) may enhance functional connectivity between these neuronal networks. Lower plasma OXT levels correlate negatively with NS severity and deficits in social cognition in SSD. It has been shown that intranasal OXT administration improves social cognition in healthy subjects but in SSD results are inconsistent. According to the social salience hypothesis, the effect of OXT varies depending on the social context and individual factors. Also, OXT-mediated effects on psychopathology and NS may depend on genetic variants of OXT receptors (OXTR). In a pilot study, we demonstrated a lower NS by OXT administration in the positive social context of MBGT in SSD. We also demonstrated that NS and other symptoms improved after mindfulness-based group psychotherapy (MBGT). The aim of this study in individuals with SSD is to examine the effect of combining OXT administration with MBGT on NS, affect, and stress with psychological and biological markers. The main hypothesis to be tested is that the use of OXT compared to placebo prior to MBGT in patients with SSD will result in a greater reduction in NS. The research design is based on an experimental, triple-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial.
The goal of this clinical trial is to optimize the treatment of psychomotor slowing in patients with schizophrenia using Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS). A previous randomized controlled trial indicated that inhibitory stimulation over the supplementary motor area (SMA) once daily over 3 weeks ameliorates psychomotor slowing. In this trial the investigators use a shorter inhibitory protocol called cTBS and to be applied 3 times per day. This should lead to faster treatment response and less burden to patients. The main question the investigators aim to answer are: Can the treatment with cTBS 3 times per day ameliorate psychomotor slowing in schizophrenia over one week? Participants will complete questionnaires on the first and last day of the study. Each day, participants will receive the TMS-treatment. Optionally, participants can receive a cerebral MRI before the study and/or come for an additional day 6 to repeat some of the questionnaires. There is no comparison group. All participants will receive the same treatment.
Previous long-term follow-up studies on patients with first-episode schizophrenia have shown that up to 30% of patients who have never received antipsychotic medication treatment do not experience symptom relief or have poor treatment response after standard antipsychotic medication treatment, becoming treatment-resistant schizophrenia (TRS). Moreover, in long-term follow-up, patients with treatment-resistant schizophrenia from the illness onset (TRO) account for 80% of all TRS patients. Preliminary studies abroad have found that TRO patients have characteristics such as early age of onset, male predominance, prominent negative symptoms, high proportion of positive family history, and long duration of untreated psychosis, but there is still no consistent conclusion on the pathological mechanisms. There is currently no research on this type of patient in China, and there are difficulties in early diagnosis of TRO patients in clinical practice. This study aims to establish a TRO prediction model by integrating data on demographics, disease characteristics, psychopathology, social function, and neurocognition from a cohort of patients with first-episode schizophrenia. Mathematical modeling methods such as K-Means/SVM and convolutional neural networks will be used. Therefore, in patients with untreated first-episode schizophrenia, early and accurate identification of TRO patients at the initial diagnosis stage and treatment with clozapine is particularly important for potentially shortening the treatment period and reducing the personal and societal burden of TRO patients. Based on the progress of existing research and the previous work of the research team, we speculate that TRO patients have unique clinical features. This project will establish a TRO prediction model based on multidimensional clinical data using mathematical modeling methods. From a clinical application perspective, the study selects TRO model prediction factors based on existing clinical assessment methods, making the model highly clinically applicable and generalizable. By establishing a TRO prediction model, not only can high-risk TRO patients be identified early in the initial diagnosis stage, enabling appropriate clinical treatment interventions, but it can also provide new insights into the future clinical treatment of TRO, promote the development of early and personalized precision identification and treatment of TRO, and improve long-term prognosis and reduce the burden of the disease for patients.
There is a clear rationale for developing interventions targeting negative symptoms of schizophrenia as these are a stronger indicator of current and future functioning than positive symptoms and because they respond poorly to medication and existing psychological interventions. This is reflected in the NIMH-MATRICS consensus statement that emphasised that persistent negative symptoms represent an unmet therapeutic need for patients suffering from schizophrenia. The purpose of this study is to evaluate, in a scientific manner, the intervention developed by Swanson et al. 2021: Metacognitive Training (MCT) Minus. The MCT was adapted to target negative symptoms in psychotic disorders (e.g. schizophrenia, schizoaffective or non-affective functional psychosis) as the original version of the intervention focused exclusively on positive symptoms. The specific aim is to study whether MCT Minus is a promising treatment for the intended population in terms of reductions in negative symptoms, severity of defeatist attitudes, internalised stigma, and depression as well as improvements in reflective ability and overall functioning. The research will add to existing research by identifying and measuring potential mechanisms of change for negative symptoms (i.e., defeatist attitudes, reflective functioning, stigma and depression). It will also add to the existing evidence base by measuring whether the cognitive biases addressed in MCT lead to changes in the wider conceptualisation of metacognition used elsewhere and whether the promising results seen in the feasibility study of MCT Minus can be replicated in a randomised controlled trial (RCT) with a control group and a blinded assessor. The researchers also hope to replicate the findings of a previous study, where MCT was found to be related to the modulation of default-mode network (DMN) homogeneity in schizophrenia, an area thought to be involved in self- and other-reflectivity.