An Individual-specific Synchrony Signature (SynSig)

November 21, 2025 updated by: Sigal Zilcha Mano, University of Haifa

An Individual-specific Understanding of How Synchrony Becomes Curative

This study aims to establish synchrony as an individual-specific mechanism of therapeutic change and offers novel insights into the mechanisms of curative interpersonal processes. The study identifies individual-specific trait-like synchrony signature and investigates the associations between synchrony signature, the individual's trait-like characteristics, and mental health, among participants diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder. The study further investigates how deterministic the trait-like synchrony signature is by identifying for whom, how, and when changes are anticipated. Additionally, it examines whether synchrony signature transfers to relationships with the therapist, whether and how it changes throughout treatment, and whether such potential changes are associated with improvements in mental health. Synchrony is recognized as a key driver of collaborative, affiliative, and curative relationships. While its potential role in improving mental health through interpersonal relationships has sparked growing interest, particularly in psychotherapy, the field is at a crossroads, with mixed findings challenging the widespread theoretical assumption that "more synchrony is better." This study introduces a personalized framework that emphasizes individual-specific synchrony signatures, shifting from generalized assumptions to tailored understanding and interventions. The study explores how synchrony can transform relationships into curative ones by leveraging individual-tailored changes in synchrony signatures in psychotherapy. The potential impact is vast. Tailoring synchrony to individual-specific signatures represents a paradigm shift from a one-size-fits-all approach to personalized interventions. This personalized framework could revolutionize mental health care by facilitating the development of targeted strategies that enhance treatment outcomes.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
78

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Contact Backup

Study Locations

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Current major depressive disorder based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-5, and scores above 14 on the 17-item Hamilton rating scale for depression at two consecutive assessments, one week apart.
  • For participants using psychiatric medication, the dosage must be stable for at least three months before the beginning of the study, and they will be asked to maintain stable dosage during the treatment
  • Age between 18 and 65 years
  • Hebrew language proficiency
  • Provision of written informed consent.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Current risk of suicide or self-harm
  • Current substance abuse disorders
  • Current or past schizophrenia or psychosis, bipolar disorder, or severe eating disorder requiring medical monitoring
  • History of organic mental disease
  • Currently in psychotherapy

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Double

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Supportive-expressive psychotherapy
Participants will receive supportive-expressive therapy for depressive disorder for 16 weeks.
Behavioral: Supportive-expressive treatment
Sixteen weeks of a time-limited psychodynamic therapy adapted for depression that includes the use of expressive techniques, such as interpretation, confrontation, clarification and the use of supportive techniques, such as affirmation and empathic validation. This treatment postulates insight as its core mechanism of change.
No Intervention: Waiting list
Participants will wait for treatment for 16 weeks. After the waiting the participants will receive in a supportive-expressive treatment for depressive disorder for 16 weeks.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Weekly change in Hamilton rating scale for depression (HRSD)
Time Frame: Measured at baseline and every week for 16 weeks of treatment
A 17-item clinically administered measure assessing the severity of depression. Each item is rated on a scale ranging from 0 (don't have) to 4 (sever) or 0 (don't have) to 2 (sever). The total score ranges between 0 and 52, where higher scores indicate worse outcome.
Measured at baseline and every week for 16 weeks of treatment

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Weekly change in Beck Depression Inventory (BDI)
Time Frame: Measured at baseline, every week for 16 weeks of treatment, then once a month for four months and follow up after a year.
A 21-item, self-rated scale that evaluates key symptoms of depression. Each item is rated on a scale ranging from 0 (don't have) to 3 (sever). The total score ranges between 0 and 63, where higher scores indicate worse outcome.
Measured at baseline, every week for 16 weeks of treatment, then once a month for four months and follow up after a year.
Weekly change in Outcome Questionnaire (OQ)
Time Frame: Measured at baseline, every week for 16 weeks of treatment, then once a month for four months and follow up after a year.
A 30 items self-report measure designed to assess patient therapy outcomes on three primary dimensions: (a) subjective discomfort, (b) interpersonal relationships, and (c) social role performance. Each item is rated on a scale ranging from 0 (never) to 4 (almost always). The total score ranges between 0 and 120, where higher scores indicate worse outcome.
Measured at baseline, every week for 16 weeks of treatment, then once a month for four months and follow up after a year.
Trajectories of change in Quality of Life Enjoyment and Satisfaction- Short Version (Q-LES-Q)
Time Frame: Measured at baseline, six times during the treatment (weeks 1, 2, 4, 8, 12, 16), then once a month for four months and follow up after a year.
A 16-item self report measure designed to assess quality of life enjoyment and satisfaction. Each item is rated on a scale ranging from 1 (not at all) to 5 (extremely). The total score ranges between 16 and 80, where higher scores indicate better outcome.
Measured at baseline, six times during the treatment (weeks 1, 2, 4, 8, 12, 16), then once a month for four months and follow up after a year.
Experiences in Close Relationships Questionnaire (ECR)
Time Frame: Measured at baseline, six times during the treatment (weeks 1, 2, 4, 8, 12, 16), then once a month for four months and follow up after a year.
A 36-item self-report measure designed to assess adult attachment styles. The measurement data will be aggregated into two sub-scales: anxiety and avoidance. Each item is rated on a 7-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 7 (strongly agree). The total score on each subscale ranges between 18 and 126, where higher scores indicate worse outcome.
Measured at baseline, six times during the treatment (weeks 1, 2, 4, 8, 12, 16), then once a month for four months and follow up after a year.
Trajectories of change in Inventory of Interpersonal Problems (IIP-32)
Time Frame: Measured at baseline, six times during the treatment (weeks 1, 2, 4, 8, 12, 16), then once a month for four months and follow up after a year.
A 32-item self-report measure designed to assess interpersonal problems. Each item is rated in terms of how distressing the problem is for the individual on a scale ranging from 0 (not at all) to 4 (extremely). The total score ranges between 0 and 128, where higher scores indicate higher interpersonal problems, worse outcome.
Measured at baseline, six times during the treatment (weeks 1, 2, 4, 8, 12, 16), then once a month for four months and follow up after a year.

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
University of Haifa

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
November 22, 2025

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
March 30, 2030

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
March 30, 2030

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
December 19, 2024

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
December 19, 2024

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
December 27, 2024

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
November 24, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
November 21, 2025

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
November 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 101123661

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

IPD Plan Description

Data will not be shared due to ethical reasons.

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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