Perceptual Deficits in Schizophrenia

VA Connecticut Healthcare System

Status: Unknown

Conditions: Schizophrenia; Schizoaffective Disorder

Treatments: Behavioral: Active Control Training; Behavioral: Sensory Information Processing Training

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other; Other U.S. Federal agency

Identifiers

NCT02337439

V1CDA2013-24

01856 (Other Identifier)

Details and patient eligibility

About

In this study, participants with schizophrenia and schizoaffective are given computer exercises to complete. The goals of the study are to determine whether: 1) any of the computer exercises can improve information processing problems in schizophrenia, 2) improvements in information processing are related to other cognitive improvements, and 3) there are changes in brain activity associated with using the computer exercises.

The study will involve clinical interviews, cognitive tests, and frequent computerized cognitive training over the course of 2 months. Some participants will also have electroencephalography, a non-invasive test that measures brain activity, to determine whether there are changes in brain activity with the computer training.

Full description

Schizophrenia is a disabling neurodevelopmental illness, affecting nearly 1% of the population. The disability of schizophrenia is due in large part to the effects of the illness on cognitive faculties. Current medications for schizophrenia do not generally improve cognition, so a major contribution to disability remains undertreated. Computerized cognitive remediation programs, which produce activity-dependent recruitment of neural resources to specifically enhance under-functioning brain systems, have been effective at improving both cognition and community functioning in patients with schizophrenia, but the effects are still modest. Our preliminary work has suggested that our training is associated with improvements in visual memory, though visual memory has been a cognitive area more refractory to cognitive training.

In this study, participants with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder will be randomized to receive different computer exercises to help determine whether computer exercises can improve memory in schizophrenia, and whether the cognitive training is associated with changes in neural activity.

Enrollment: 60 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 60 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder
• English speaking and reading

Exclusion criteria

• current substance abuse
• visual impairment
• neurological conditions
• current enrollment in another research study

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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60 participants in 2 patient groups

Sensory Information Processing Training

Experimental group

Description:

Computerized training designed to improve sensory processing

Treatment:

Behavioral: Sensory Information Processing Training

Active Control Training

Active Comparator group

Description:

Commercially available computer exercises that were not designed specifically to improve sensory information processing.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Active Control Training