Decision-Making in Schizophrenia: A Combined Neuroimaging and Experience Sampling Study
Trial statusRecruiting
Trial phaseNot applicable
Trial typeInterventional
Biological sexAll
Age18-50
SponsorRutgers, The State University of New Jersey
About this trial
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.
Eligibility criteria
This trial accepts healthy volunteersQualifiers
Between ages of 18-50.
Have capacity to provide informed consent
Fluent communication in English
Willingness and ability to follow study requirements, as evidenced by an ability to provide written or virtual informed consent and read, and complete, study procedures.
Disqualifiers
Self-disclosed or noticeable intoxication from alcohol or illicit drugs (e.g., arriving to participate in the study drunk/high)
Self-disclosure of consistent current substance use other than nicotine, alcohol, or cannabis (e.g. cocaine, heroin).
Many-year history of severely disordered substance use other than nicotine/tobacco (determined via interview)
Significant physical health disorder, robust physical health conditions, neurological disease/disorder (e.g., Parkinson's, history of strokes).
Trial design
Design model
Single group
Treatments tested in this trial
Positive Emotion Upregulation
BehavioralParticipants will identify personal goals or activities that they would like to engage in more and describe these goals/activities in a written format with research staff. Participants will then complete a gambling task during functional MRI scanning. Prior to making some gambling decisions, participants are instructed to mentally imagine achieving a goal or engaging in an enjoyable activity. Prior to the other decisions participants are instructed to respond naturally (i.e., not use the cognitive strategy).
Treatment groups
74 Participants
are divided into 1 treatment groupGroup A: Single ArmExperimental treatment 1 intervention
Trial outcomes
Primary outcomes
1
Nucleus Accumbens Brain Activation
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.
Time frame
Single timeframe during 1.5 hours of MRI scanning and behavioral task completion.2
Gambling Choice Behavior
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.
Time frame
Single timeframe during 1.5 hours of MRI scanning and behavioral task completion.Secondary outcomes
1
Brain Activation and Functional Connectivity
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.
Time frame
Single timeframe during 1.5 hours of MRI scanning and behavioral task completionSponsors and contacts
Click on the lead sponsor to view all of their trials.
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
Lead sponsor
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Collaborator
Source ClinicalTrials.gov