Can we Forget? Directed Forgetting and Embodied Cognition in Schizophrenia

Summary

Based on the theory of embodied cognition, which focuses on the influence of sensory and motor processes on cognition, researchers propose to study the influence of the action on memorization and inhibition in patients suffering from schizophrenia, using a directed forgetting paradigm. The directed forgetting paradigm is used, composed of two lists of action verbs. The instruction "to forget" is given at the end of learning the first list (To Be Forgotten (TBF)), following a simulation of a computer bug. Therefore a second list is presented to be learned and remembered (To Be Remembered (TBR)). A recognition task is performed at the end. The action verbs had to be encoded using four conditions: action performed, mimed, imagined action, action with a contextual word, reading the action verb only. 48 schizophrenic patients were included in this study. Patients were randomized to have 10 participants per condition. 48 controls matched by age, gender, laterality and education are also included and randomized in the same modality. This study aims to show that the encoding of sensory-motor components, more than providing a context could improve the inhibitory capacities but also memory in schizophrenia, and possibly be used in remediation cognitive.

Conditions

• Schizophrenia

Interventions

OTHER

Memorization of the verbs by miming the action

The participant reads aloud the verbs that appear on the screen, by performing the corresponding action verb.

OTHER

Memorization of the verbs by imagining the action

The participant reads aloud the verbs that appear on the screen, by imagining the corresponding action verb.

OTHER

Memorization of the action verbs by means of another word

The participant reads aloud the verbs that appear on the screen. Then, he reads, without memorizing it, a word associated with the action verb to be learnt to favor the memorization of that one. The word is written near the action verb.

OTHER

Simple memorization of the verbs

The participant reads aloud the verbs that appear on the screen, without additional instructions (control condition).

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Saint Etienne

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Anne GROSSELIN, MD · CHU de Saint-Etienne

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Masking

NONE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Max Age

50 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2011-05-31

Primary Completion

2012-12-31

Completion

2012-12-31

Countries

• France

Study Locations