From Brain Currents to Interpersonal Flow: Investigating the Social Processing Stream of Schizophrenia

Not yet recruiting

• Conditions: Schizophrenia; Cognitive Impairment; Social Competence
• Interventions: Other: This is not an intervention study

• Registration Number: NCT03543553
• Lead Sponsor: Oslo University Hospital

Brief Summary

The overall objective of this project is to identify the neural signature of the impaired ability to relate socially seen in individuals with schizophrenia. A hypothesized path from the neural processes of social cognition, to social cognition assessed behaviorally, to real-life social interactions is examined. Secondary aims are to compare electrophysiological measures of high vs low level social cognition; to develop assessment methods of real-life behavior; and to increase the ecological validity of schizophrenia research. Much research within the field is devoid of personal meaning and interpersonal context. This project's use of personalized assessment allows for an ecologically valid approach to the social deficits of schizophrenia.

Detailed Description

Not available

Study Timeline

• Study First Submitted: 2018-04-17
• Study First Submitted QC: 2018-05-19
• Study First Posted: 2018-06-01
• Status Verified: 2023-11
• Last Update Submitted: 2023-11-27
• Last Update Posted: 2023-11-28
• Study Start: 2025-01-01
• Primary Completion: 2027-03-31
• Study Completion: 2027-03-31

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: NOT_YET_RECRUITING
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 60

Inclusion Criteria

• schizophrenia
• schizoaffective disorder

Exclusion Criteria

• diabetes
• Hyperthyroidism
• severe head trauma
• neurological disease

Exclusion Criteria

Not provided

Study & Design

• Study Type: OBSERVATIONAL
• Study Design: Not specified

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
HC	This is not an intervention study	Healthy control participants
SZ	This is not an intervention study	Individuals with a diagnosis of schizophrenia

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Real-world behaviour	1 day (when assessed)	Day Reconstruction Method
Real-world social interactions	1 day (when assessed)	Video-ethnography
Neurophysiology: ERP	1 day (when assessed)	ERP mentalizing paradigm (perspective taking)
Neurophysiology: EEG	1 day (when assessed)	EEG mu suppression paradigm using point-light displays
Social cognition: low level ToM	1 day (when assessed)	The Hinting Task
Social cognition: facial emotion perception	1 day (when assessed)	Pictures of Facial Affect
Functioning	1 day (when assessed)	Social Functioning Scale (SFS). Seven scales that can be combined into a total score. Mean score in a schizophrenia population = 100, SD = 15. For both the seven scales and the total score.
Cognition	1 day (when assessed)	Matrics Consensus Cognitive Battery
Negative symptoms: clinician-rated	1 day (when assessed)	Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) 2. Objectively assessed using computerized software (FaceReader, PRAAT) of video-taped personal narratives produced by the participants
Negative symptoms: objective 1	1 day (when assessed)	FaceReader
Negative symptoms: objective 2	1 day (when assessed)	PRAAT
Social cognition: complex ToM	1 day (when assessed)	Movie for the Assessment of Social Cognition
Social cognition: body language reading	1 day (when assessed)	Emotion in Biological Motion test