Attention and Visual Perception in Schizophrenia: A Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) Study

Attention and Grouping of Visual Information: What is Disturbed in Patients With Schizophrenia?

The main objective of the study is to contribute to a better understanding of the physiopathology of schizophrenia, by studying causal relationships between cognitive deficits and the neurobiological basis for these deficits. Processing visual information involves both automatic grouping processes and control processes. Automatic grouping processes allow the building of a global configuration from local contour information. It is necessary in order to recognize objects. Control processes allow tending to and prioritizing information parts. The paradigm the investigators use allows to dissociate these processes, and is used in order to characterize the impairments observed in patients with schizophrenia. It is adapted to fMRI in order to explore the neurobiological basis of the deficits. The investigators will examine whether functional disconnectivity between activated areas subtend the impairments observed in patients.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Schizophrenia
• Intervention / Treatment: Procedure: fMRI

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Anticipated): 52

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• France
  • Strasbourg, France, 67091
    • Inserm U666 - Département de Psychiatrie, Hôpitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 50 years (ADULT)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Primary care clinic, residents of Strasbourg

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patients with schizophrenia (DSM-IV criteria)
• Healthy controls matched with patients on age, sex and education level
• Ages 18 to 50
• Signed informed consent
• Right-handed

Exclusion Criteria:

• No severe somatic illness
• No invalidating sensory disease
• No drug abuse, as defined by DSM-IV criteria
• No general anaesthesia in the past 3 months
• No intake of drugs affecting the CNS, except for patients

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Number of groups / cohorts

2

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort	Intervention / Treatment
Healthy volunteers; Healthy controls	Procedure: fMRI; One 30 minute session
Patients; Patients with schizophrenia	Procedure: fMRI; One 30 minute session

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University Hospital, Strasbourg, France
• Collaborators: Institut National de la Santé Et de la Recherche Médicale, France; Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, France; Région Alsace; Faculté de Médecine de Strasbourg

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: September 1, 2006
• Study Completion (ACTUAL): April 1, 2009

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: July 10, 2006
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 10, 2006
• First Posted (ESTIMATE): July 11, 2006

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (ESTIMATE): June 28, 2010
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 25, 2010
• Last Verified: June 1, 2010

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: fMRI; Attention; Visual perception
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Mental Disorders; Schizophrenia Spectrum and Other Psychotic Disorders; Schizophrenia
• Other Study ID Numbers: 3456