Studies of Frontal Lobe Brain Functioning in Schizophrenia
- Registration Number
- NCT00001258
- Lead Sponsor
- National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
- Brief Summary
The purpose of this study is to use brain imaging technology to investigate the role of the frontal lobe of the brain in the thinking of individuals with schizophrenia and other neuropsychiatric disorders and healthy volunteers.
Participants in this study will undergo a positron emission tomography (PET) scan of the brain while performing neuropsychological tests. Some of the tests involve cognitive operations that depend upon the frontal cortex. Interactions between frontal lobe activation, cognitive behavior, and neuropharmacology will be assessed by measuring regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) during treatment with drugs that may affect frontal lobe physiology.
- Detailed Description
The purpose of this work is to investigate the role of the frontal lobe, and its connections for cognition in health and in neuropsychiatric diseases, particularly schizophrenia. Regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) will be measured with oxygen-15 water positron emission tomography (PET) while subjects are either at rest or are performing a variety of neuropsychological tests. Some of these tests involve cognitive operations that are posited to depend upon the frontal cortex, such as the use of working memory for abstract reasoning and problem solving, formation and maintenance of conceptual sets, set shifting, sequencing, and delayed response; others control for nonspecific sensory and motor aspects of these measurements or are contrast conditions posited to depend on other brain regions. Interactions between regional activation, cognitive behavior, and neuropharmacology will be assessed by measuring cognitively-related rCBF during treatment with drugs that may affect frontal lobe physiology. Hypotheses about the genetic determinants of these relationships will also be tested by comparing rCBF measures across individuals harboring different genotypes (detemined through protocol 95-M-0150).
Recruitment & Eligibility
- Status
- COMPLETED
- Sex
- All
- Target Recruitment
- 1039
Not provided
Not provided
Study & Design
- Study Type
- OBSERVATIONAL
- Study Design
- Not specified
- Arm && Interventions
Group Intervention Description 1 Oxygen-15 Water Patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorder
- Primary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method Differences between rCBF during the frontal lobe tasks and rCBF during the sensorimotor control ongoing ongoing
- Secondary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method
Trial Locations
- Locations (1)
National Institutes of Health Clinical Center
🇺🇸Bethesda, Maryland, United States