Links Between Perception of Temporal Order Judgment and Causality in Schizophrenia (TOCAS)

Study of the Links Between Perception of Temporal Order Judgment and Causality in Schizophrenic Spectrum Disorders

People with schizophrenia show disturbances in the perception of time. Among these alterations are the perturbations of the temporal order judgment. They are characterized by the fact that, as opposed to the general population, people with schizophrenia require a longer time interval between two successive stimuli to estimate which of the two events appeared first. If these alterations are now well documented, their consequences remain little explored. Among these consequences could however appear distortions of the judgment of causality (likely to underlie certain delusional interpretations) as well as a distressing experience of loss of the continuity of the lived experience (that could contribute to the alterations basic of self-awareness).

Study Overview

• Status: Terminated
• Conditions: Schizophrenia
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Performances of patients and controls on temporal task

Detailed Description

The objective of our work lies in the study of the links between temporal sequencing, subjective perception of time and causality.

To carry out this work, the investigators will rely on an experimental paradigm (derived from Michotte's paradigm) which makes it possible to explore the links between temporal sequencing and perception of causality, validated in the normal subject. subjective consequences of these alterations will be explored using a phenomenological-inspired clinical scale (EAWE time-scale items)

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 52
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• France
  • Rhone Alpes
    • Bron, Rhone Alpes, France, 69678
      • Vial Veronique

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 45 years (Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

Subjects with schizophrenia:

• Age from 18 to 45 years
• Diagnosis of schizophrenia according to DSM V criteria
• French mother tongue
• Psychotropic treatment unchanged during the month preceding the inclusion
• Stable symptomatology
• Normal or corrected visual acuity (> 0.8 at Snellen scale) and normal color vision
• Patients who gave informed consent to participate in the study

Control subjects (healthy volunteers):

• Age from 18 to 45 years
• Absence of neurological and psychiatric disorders
• French mother tongue

Exclusion Criteria:

• Recent addiction and abuse of cannabis or any other substance (according to DSM V criteria)
• Neurological disorders of vascular, infectious or neurodegenerative origin
• Taking somatic drugs with a cerebral or mental impact (eg corticosteroids)
• Disabling sensory disturbances, and in particular visual acuity
• Participation in a Neuro Cognitive Remediation Program
• Schizophrenia resistant to neuroleptic treatments
• Persons protected by law (pregnant women, minors, major under guardianship ...)

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Other
• Allocation: Non-Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: subjects with schizophrenia; Performances on temporal task Subjective alterations of time perception in patients with an adapted scale (EAWE) Global symptomatology with PANSS (positive and negative symptom scale)	Other: Performances of patients and controls on temporal task; To carry out this work, we will rely on an experimental paradigm (derived from Michotte's paradigm) which makes it possible to explore the links between temporal sequencing and perception of causality, validated in the normal subject. subjective consequences of these alterations will be explored using a phenomenological-inspired clinical scale (EAWE time-scale items)
Sham Comparator: healthy subjects; Evaluate the links (correlation) between perception of temporal sequencing and perception of causality using an adapted experimental paradigm (Michotte paradigm) and to compare performance between healthy subjects and controls Investigate the existence of a correlation between these alterations and the peculiarities of the subjective experience of time (EAWE scale) in the group of subjects with schizophrenia	Other: Performances of patients and controls on temporal task; To carry out this work, we will rely on an experimental paradigm (derived from Michotte's paradigm) which makes it possible to explore the links between temporal sequencing and perception of causality, validated in the normal subject. subjective consequences of these alterations will be explored using a phenomenological-inspired clinical scale (EAWE time-scale items)

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Comparison of the scores obtained by subjects with schizophrenia vs. the controls for the causal tasks, according to the delays between stimuli (stopping the moving launcher and appearance of the static object).	Michotte paradigm: evaluate the links (correlation) between perception of temporal sequencing and perception of causality using an adapted experimental paradigm	eight months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Comparisons of the scores obtained on the Time Experiment Rating Examination of Anomalous World Experience Scale (EAWE).	Examination of Anomalous World Experience (EAWE ) scale:investigate the existence of a correlation between these alterations and the peculiarities of the subjective experience of time The E.A.W.E. consists of 6 dimensions (relation to space / relation to time / relation to others / language / atmospheric experience / existential orientation).The second domain only will be explored in our study Each item is both detailed, on a scale of 0 to 2 (0 for absent, 1 for present but with doubt, 2 for present, no doubt). The overall score of the sub-time scale thus ranges between 0 and 78.	eight months

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Hôpital le Vinatier
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: MARTIN BRICE, CH Le Vinatier

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): February 1, 2018
• Primary Completion (Actual): May 24, 2022
• Study Completion (Actual): May 24, 2022

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: February 7, 2018
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 12, 2018
• First Posted (Actual): February 13, 2018

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): August 1, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 30, 2025
• Last Verified: July 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Schizophrenia Spectrum and Other Psychotic Disorders; Mental Disorders; Schizophrenia
• Other Study ID Numbers: 2017-A03019-44

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No