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Behavioral Intervention

Positive Emotion Upregulation for Schizophrenia

N/A

Recruiting

Led By David Zald, PhD

Research Sponsored by Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

Eligibility Criteria Checklist

Specific guidelines that determine who can or cannot participate in a clinical trial

Must have

Subjects must have cognitive ability to understand tasks and estimated IQ greater than 70

Subjects must be between the ages of 18-45

Must not have

Subjects must not have a history of electroconvulsive therapy

Subjects must not have a history of seizures or epilepsy

Timeline

Screening 3 weeks

Treatment Varies

Follow Up single timeframe during 1.5 hours of mri scanning and behavioral task completion

Awards & highlights

No Placebo-Only Group

Summary

This trial aims to understand how attention and different ways of thinking affect decision-making and brain processes in individuals with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder compared to those without these conditions. The study will also investigate

Who is the study for?

This trial is for individuals with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder, as well as healthy controls without these conditions. Participants will undergo clinical interviews, cognitive tests, and surveys. They must be willing to complete computer tasks during MRI scans and eye-tracking sessions, and answer brief surveys on a cell phone multiple times a day for one week.

What is being tested?

The study investigates how attention and positive thinking strategies affect decision-making and brain activity in people with schizophrenia compared to those without it. It examines the impact of these strategies on gambling decisions during computer tasks under MRI observation and real-world choices via daily surveys.

What are the potential side effects?

Since this trial involves non-invasive procedures like MRI scanning, eye-tracking, cognitive tests, and experience sampling through surveys rather than medication or medical interventions, significant side effects are not anticipated.

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

You may be eligible if you check “Yes” for the criteria below

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I understand tasks well and have an IQ over 70.

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I am between 18 and 45 years old.

Exclusion Criteria

You may be eligible for the trial if you check “No” for criteria below:

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I have never undergone electroconvulsive therapy.

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I have never had seizures or epilepsy.

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I have never had a severe head injury or brain trauma.

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I do not have any untreated or unstable mental or physical health conditions.

Timeline

Screening ~ 3 weeks3 visits

Treatment ~ Varies

Follow Up ~ single timeframe during 1.5 hours of mri scanning and behavioral task completion

Screening ~ 3 weeks

Treatment ~ Varies

Follow Up ~single timeframe during 1.5 hours of mri scanning and behavioral task completion

This trial's timeline: 3 weeks for screening, Varies for treatment, and single timeframe during 1.5 hours of mri scanning and behavioral task completion for reporting.

Treatment Details

Study Objectives

Study objectives can provide a clearer picture of what you can expect from a treatment.

Primary study objectives

Gambling Choice Behavior

Nucleus Accumbens Brain Activation

Secondary study objectives

Brain Activation and Functional Connectivity

Awards & Highlights

No Placebo-Only Group

All patients enrolled in this study will receive some form of active treatment.

Trial Design

1Treatment groups

Experimental Treatment

Group I: Single ArmExperimental Treatment1 Intervention

There is only 1 arm in this study. In this arm of the study, participants are instructed to implement a cognitive strategy (i.e., way of thinking) during 1/2 of the trials of a behavioral, gambling task. On the other 1/2 of the trials they behave naturally without implementing the cognitive strategy.

0 / 6Eligibility criteria met