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Motivation and Executive Control in Schizophrenia

Not Applicable
Completed
Conditions
Schizophrenia
Interventions
Other: realization of computerized exercises
Registration Number
NCT02734927
Lead Sponsor
Hôpital le Vinatier
Brief Summary

In order to control a behaviour, investigators need to realise goal directed actions and to priories some actions. This control is required in unusual situation. Appropriate actions are selected and coordinated according to context and aim.

Several studies try to draw a model of executive function. Recently, Koechlin has suggested a three levelled organisation to explain how the prefrontal cortex controls actions.

Contextual control is useful to answer appropriately with the immediate context. Episodic control allows selecting the action according to specific information given before. Sensorial control is the automatic response when a stimulus is presented.

Some diseases like schizophrenia are associated with neurological dysfunction in prefrontal cortex. Chambon and al (2008) have identified a dysfunction of contextual control in schizophrenia.

As the prefrontal cortex is involved in motivational process, it seems interesting to study potential links between executive function and motivation. A study from Kouneiher shows contextual and episodic activation of motivation in healthy population.

Investigators aim to study the way motivational process are recruited in schizophrenia.

Detailed Description

behavioral protocol. Letters (vowel and consonant; upper- or lower- case) are presented in several colours into successive blocks. Each block included a series of eight letters. Each colour required a specific task given by a fixed rule (contextual control) but for some colour, the rule changes sometimes (episodic control). Participants are informed that payoffs vary according to their own performance. A frame indicates essay with bonus reward. Moreover a dashed frame indicates a low-bonus reward and a solid frame means a high-bonus reward. Thus different blocks are designed: low-incentive block and high incentive block.

This reward increased from standard to bonus motivation in high-incentive block (contextual motivation) and from low to high according to the type of blocks (episodic motivation) Reaction time may be higher in bonus reward Patients with schizophrenia are not sensitive to contextual motivation, and therefore patients should behave differently than control in contextual motivation.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
COMPLETED
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
41
Inclusion Criteria
  • Age 18-45 years old
  • schizophrenia
  • french native speaker
Exclusion Criteria
  • Neurological disease
  • Motor or visual deficit
  • Somatic treatment with neurological impact
  • Drug abuse

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
PARALLEL
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
control grouprealization of computerized exercisessubjects showing no psychological or neurological disorder
schizophrenia grouprealization of computerized exercisesSchizophrenia patients suffering
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
reaction time24 hours

reaction time is recorded when the subject press the key (subject should press a key function of the characteristics of the letter submitted)Reaction time should vary with the level of executive control (episodic, contextual, and motivation control (episodic or contextual motivation). Responses will be compared across patients and control.

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Professeur FRANCK Nicolas

🇫🇷

Bron, Rhone-alpes, France

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