The Fragility of Metaphors (FraMe): Learning, Loosing, and How to Train Them (FRAME)

San Donato Group (GSD)

Status: Invitation-only

Conditions: Schizophrenia; Psychosis

Treatments: Behavioral: PragmaCom

Study type: Observational

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT06375902

2022289RNA

Details and patient eligibility

About

Tracking down the difficulties in metaphor comprehension experienced by individuals with schizophrenia across different metaphor types and exploring the neurological correlates via EEG recording technique

Full description

The investigators will address the following objectives:

• Primary Objective: Tracking down the difficulties in metaphor comprehension experienced by individuals with schizophrenia across different metaphor types and exploring the neurological correlates via EEG recording technique
• Secondary Objectives: 1) Evaluate the interactions between performances in metaphor comprehension and individual differences in psychopathology, cognition, ToM and functioning; 2) Test if the altered neurophysiological patterns associated to the fragility of metaphor comprehension in schizophrenia can be restored through a rehabilitative training

The investigators will enroll 32 schizophrenic patients and 32 healthy subjects as control sample.

Participants will undergo an initial visit with a specialist psychiatrist who will verify that their conditions meet the criteria required by the study. Then, subjects will be tested for metaphor comprehension, as well as for the other variables included in the study, and the electrical brain activity will be registered through a 128 channel EEG.

In the check-up visits (i.e., after the training) the following data will be collected:

• Scores relating to cognitive, pragmatic (understanding of metaphors), theory of mind and global functioning performance scores
• EEG recordings related to the process of understanding metaphors
• Scores on scales that evaluate psychopathological severity

Enrollment: 64 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 65 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

For patients:

• Age between 18 and 65 years
• Diagnosis of Schizophrenia according to DSM V criteria
• Ability to provide informed consent

For healthy controls:

• Age between 18 and 65 years
• Ability to provide informed consent
• Absence of psychiatric pathologies
• Ability to speak Italian

Exclusion criteria

For patients:

• Intellectual disability
• Neurological disorder

For healthy controls:

• Presence of psychiatric pathologies
• Difficulties in speaking Italian

Trial design

64 participants in 2 patient groups

Schizophrenia group

Description:

We will enroll 32 patients selected according to the presence of Schizophrenia diagnosis (DSM V criteria), which will be tested for metaphor comprehension, as well as for the other variables included in the study, and the electrical brain activity will be registered through a 128 channel EEG. Patients will be assigned either to a rehabilitative training (PragmaCom), or to a standard rehabilitative program to test if the altered neurophysiological patterns associated to the fragility of metaphor comprehension in schizophrenia can be restored.

Treatment:

Behavioral: PragmaCom

Healthy controls group

Description:

32 healthy subjects, as control sample, that will be tested for metaphor comprehension, as well as for the other variables included in the study, and the electrical brain activity will be registered through a 128 channel EEG.