Decision-Making in Schizophrenia: A Combined Neuroimaging and Experience Sampling Study

Not Applicable

Recruiting

• Conditions: Schizophrenia; Schizoaffective Disorder; Control Subjects

• Registration Number: NCT06745479
• Lead Sponsor: Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

Brief Summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if attention and ways of thinking impact decision-making and brain processes related to decision-making in people with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder relative to people without either condition. It will also learn how brain functioning during decision-making relates to real-world decisions made during daily life. The main questions it aims to answer are:

* Does paying attention to specific information impact decision-making and brain processes?

* Does thinking in a certain way according to specific 'thinking strategies' improve brain processes related to decision-making?

* Does brain functioning during decision-making relate to real-world choices to engage in activities?

Researchers will compare brain functioning and decision-making on computer tasks of gambling after participants have been trained to use a positive thinking strategy. They will compare what is different in the brain and behavior when participants use this strategy and when they do not. Participants will also answer brief surveys about activities and feelings for a week in their daily lives.

Participants will:

* Complete several hours of clinical interviewing, cognitive tests, and surveys of about symptoms, experiences, and personality

* Complete computer tasks about gambling decisions during MRI brain scanning and while having their visual attention measured using eye-tracking

* Complete brief surveys about their activities and feelings 5 times a day for 1 week using a cell phone. Each survey only take several minutes.

Detailed Description

This study aims to identify how attention and different ways of thinking impact decision making and brain activity. We are specifically examining how these factors differ between individuals with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder and individuals who do not have these conditions. We are also investigating how brain functioning during decision-making tasks correlates with real-world decisions recorded in everyday life. This ongoing study utilizes functional MRI brain imaging, eye-tracking, and daily event-sampling self-reports to identify whether there are differences in decision-making tendencies between groups of participants.

Study Timeline

• Study First Submitted: 2024-12-17
• Study First Submitted QC: 2024-12-17
• Study First Posted: 2024-12-20
• Study Start: 2025-01-07
• Status Verified: 2025-07
• Last Update Submitted: 2025-08-01
• Last Update Posted: 2025-08-03
• Primary Completion: 2026-06-30
• Study Completion: 2026-06-30

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: RECRUITING
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 74

Inclusion Criteria

Not provided

Exclusion Criteria

Not provided

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: SINGLE_GROUP

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Nucleus Accumbens Brain Activation	Single timeframe during 1.5 hours of MRI scanning and behavioral task completion.	Brain activation in the nucleus accumbens (ventral striatum) measured via functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) on trials that are preceded by the cognitive regulation strategy relative to trials without the cognitive regulation strategy.
Gambling Choice Behavior	Single timeframe during 1.5 hours of MRI scanning and behavioral task completion.	Risky reward pursuit, defined as gamble choices on trials that are preceded by the cognitive regulation strategy relative to trials without the cognitive regulation strategy.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Brain Activation and Functional Connectivity	Single timeframe during 1.5 hours of MRI scanning and behavioral task completion	Brain activation and functional connectivity in areas across the whole brain measured via functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) on trials that are preceded by the cognitive regulation strategy relative to trials without the cognitive regulation strategy.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Center for Advanced Human Brain Imaging Research; 🇺🇸 Piscataway, New Jersey, United States