Feeling of Being in Control of One's Own Action

University Hospital, Strasbourg, France

Status: Completed

Conditions: Schizophrenia; Bipolar Disorders

Treatments: Behavioral: Experimental psychology methods (computer tests)

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT01312649

4880

Details and patient eligibility

About

The investigators aim is to understand the cognitive mechanisms that contribute to the emergence of delusions of control (the belief that one's own actions or thoughts are controlled by an external force). These symptoms are mainly encountered in patients with schizophrenia, and the investigators will distinguish patients with schizophrenia with or without this symptom together with patients with bipolar disorder. Based on the investigators previous studies, this project will help to determine the role of two elementary mechanisms in the ability to feel in control of voluntary actions: (1) the processing of the sensory consequences of action, and (2) the ability to build mental representations for sequenced actions.

Enrollment: 198 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 55 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Patients with schizophrenia or bipolar disorders (criteria DSM IV) or healthy controls matched with patients on age, sex and education level
• 18-55 years old

Exclusion criteria

• Past history affecting CNS
• Invalidating sensory disorders
• Intake of psychotropic drugs, except for patients
• Intake of benzodiazepines

Trial design

Primary purpose: Basic Science

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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198 participants in 5 patient groups

Arm 1

Experimental group

Description:

Healthy volunteers

Treatment:

Behavioral: Experimental psychology methods (computer tests)

Arm 2

Experimental group

Description:

Schizophrenia with history of delusions of control

Treatment:

Behavioral: Experimental psychology methods (computer tests)

Arm 3

Experimental group

Description:

Schizophrenia without history of delusions of control

Treatment:

Behavioral: Experimental psychology methods (computer tests)

Arm 4

Experimental group

Description:

Bipolar disorders

Treatment:

Behavioral: Experimental psychology methods (computer tests)

Arm 5

Active Comparator group

Description:

Matched healthy controls

Treatment:

Behavioral: Experimental psychology methods (computer tests)