Retrieval Practice and Schizophrenia

Retrieval Practice in Patients With Schizophrenia : an Exploratory Study Using Descriptive Stories

When people are tested on a previously learned material, they will later remember it better even when compared to a condition where they can re-study it. This phenomenon is called retrieval practice and is supported by an extensive research literature mostly carried out in normal students. This paradigm begins to be used in cognitive remediation programs in patients suffering from memory difficulties.

The objective of this study is to investigate whether retrieval practice is spared in patients with schizophrenia.

If effective, this method could be used in cognitive remediation programs.

Since episodic memory difficulties are supposed to be secondary to deficits in the initiation/elaboration of efficient encoding and retrieval strategies our hypothesis is that retrieval practice is spared in schizophrenia.

Study Overview

• Status: Suspended
• Conditions: Schizophrenia; Episodic Memory Deficits
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Retrieval practice effect using descriptive stories and free-call tests without feedback

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Anticipated): 50
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• France
  • Strasbourg, France, 67091 Cedex
    • Service de psychiatrie - Hôpital Civil - CHRU Strasbourg

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 60 years (ADULT)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• French is the native language, or acquired before 5 years old
• People must be able to understand and follow the trial instructions

Specific inclusion criteria (for patients) :

• Diagnostic of schizophrenia, according to the DSM -5, clinically stable
• The treatment must remain unchanged during the trial

Exclusion Criteria:

• Severe or acute cerebral disease
• Other actual psychiatric disorder
• Use of drugs with high anticholinergic effect
• Irregular use of benzodiazepines medication, or high dose of benzodiazepin (more than 2 mg of lorazepam per day or equivalent)
• Inappropriate use of drugs

Specific exclusion criteria (for healthy subjects) :

- Diagnostic of schizophrenia of a relative up to the third degree

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: SUPPORTIVE_CARE
• Allocation: NON_RANDOMIZED
• Interventional Model: PARALLEL
• Masking: NONE

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
ACTIVE_COMPARATOR: Healthy subjects	Behavioral: Retrieval practice effect using descriptive stories and free-call tests without feedback; In the first phase (encoding), people study 2 short prose passages covering general scientific topics. In the second phase (initial test), they recall one text or restudy the other one. In the third phase (final test) which takes place 2 days later, they recall both texts.
EXPERIMENTAL: Patients with schizophrenia	Behavioral: Retrieval practice effect using descriptive stories and free-call tests without feedback; In the first phase (encoding), people study 2 short prose passages covering general scientific topics. In the second phase (initial test), they recall one text or restudy the other one. In the third phase (final test) which takes place 2 days later, they recall both texts.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Number of items properly recalled	- The aim is to investigate the retrieval practice effect using descriptive stories and free-recall tests without feedback in patients with schizophrenia and healthy controls. In the first phase (encoding), people study 2 short prose passages covering general scientific topics. In the second phase (initial test), they recall one text ("test" condition) or restudy the other one ("re-study" condition). In the third phase (final test) which takes place 2 days later, they recall both texts. - We will compare in patients with schizophrenia and healthy controls final performance recall (number of items properly recalled) for information studied and recalled ("test" condition) to those for information studied and then re-studied ("re-study" condition).	Final test : 2 days after the first experimental session

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Difference between final performance recall and memory span score	In each group (patients with schizophrenia and healthy controls) : Difference between the final performance recall (see primary outcome measure) in "test" condition and "re-study" condition AND memory span score.	Final test : 2 days after the first experimental session

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University Hospital, Strasbourg, France

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (ACTUAL): May 1, 2014
• Primary Completion (ACTUAL): December 1, 2021
• Study Completion (ANTICIPATED): December 1, 2022

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: April 4, 2014
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 8, 2014
• First Posted (ESTIMATE): April 9, 2014

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (ACTUAL): July 5, 2022
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 28, 2022
• Last Verified: June 1, 2022

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Schizophrenia; Episodic memory deficits
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Mental Disorders; Nervous System Diseases; Neurologic Manifestations; Neurobehavioral Manifestations; Schizophrenia Spectrum and Other Psychotic Disorders; Schizophrenia; Memory Disorders
• Other Study ID Numbers: 5305