Study of Self-Recognition and Self/Other Distinction Disorders in Patients With Psychological Vulnerability (ALTER-EGO)

Regional University Hospital Center (CHRU)

Status: Enrolling

Conditions: Psychosis of Childhood Borderline; Psychotic Disorder

Treatments: Other: EASE test; Other: Double mirror device ALTER-EGO

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT04945278

29BRC20.0283

Details and patient eligibility

About

The main objective of this study is to establish whether there are differences in self-recognition and self/other distinction in subjects with psychological vulnerability compared to healthy volunteer controls.

Full description

This study is based on the properties of the double mirror "Alter Ego" which is a device that appears as a double-sided mirror surrounded by light diodes whose intensity can be varied. Thanks to this variation of luminosity, this special paradigm creates morphs between two real subjects seated on both sides, resulting in different faces, each morphed to a varying extent.

In this task, participants watch a double mirror in which a picture of their own face gradually transforms into the face of an unfamiliar other (self-to-other direction) or vice versa (other-to-self direction), and indicate at which point they judge the morph to look more like the target face than the starting face.

The comparison of the thresholds obtained by different individuals makes it possible to establish whether there could be differences between subjects with psychological vulnerability and healthy controls and to explore hypothetical links between self/other distinction abilities and symptoms of psychological vulnerability .

Enrollment: 34 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 15 to 25 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion and exclusion criteria

Inclusion criteria for patients:

• Aged from 15 to 25 years
• Subject meeting the Ultra High Risk criteria at CAARMS and / or SPI-A
• Signature of the consent (participants and parents for minors)
• Subject affiliated to the social security scheme or benefiting from such a scheme

Inclusion criteria for healthy volunteers:

• Aged from 15 to 25 years
• Subject not familiar to the patient to whom it is matched
• Signature of the consent (participants and parents for minors)
• Subject affiliated to the social security scheme or benefiting from such a scheme

Exclusion Criteria for both patients and healthy volunteers:

• History of epilepsy and / or migraine (due to the epileptogenic potential of light stimuli)
• Refusal of participation of the minor even if the legal representatives want the subject to participate in the study
• Claustrophobia
• Wearing glasses
• Abnormal right and left visual acuity without contact lenses
• Distinctive signs on the face which cannot be temporarily removed
• Subject under legal protection (curators / guardianship) or deprived of liberty

Trial design

Primary purpose: Basic Science

Allocation: Non-Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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34 participants in 2 patient groups

Patients

Other group

Description:

Both patients and healthy volunteers arms will undergo the double mirror test within a day. But the patients arm will additionally respond to the EASE test.

Treatment:

Other: Double mirror device ALTER-EGO

Other: EASE test

Healthy volunteers

Other group

Description:

Both patients and healthy volunteers arms will undergo the double mirror test within a day.

Treatment:

Other: Double mirror device ALTER-EGO