Effects of Rhythmic Auditory Stimulation on Movements in Individuals at Risk for Psychotic Onset and Schizophrenia Patients

Summary

The purpose of this research is to examine effects of movement training with the aid of rhythmic auditory stimulation (RAS) on reducing severity of dyskinesia and bradykinesia in at-risk individuals and schizophrenia patients. The investigators hypothesize that training with the aid of RAS reduced severity of bradykinesia and dyskinesia in at-risk individuals as well as in schizophrenia patients.

Conditions

• Schizophrenia
• Psychosis
• Parkinsonism
• Dyskinesias

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Rhythmic auditory stimulation (RAS) for schizophrenia patients

A mobile application, "metronome beats" developed by Stonekick Limited, will be used to give RAS when the participant executes the movement. Before intervention, the participant is required to execute the movement task without the aid of RAS as quickly as possible for 30 seconds, so that we obtain his/her baseline movement tempo (beats per minute). For each 40-minute training session in the first training week, three RAS tempi will be provided for the first, second, and last 10 minutes with a five-minute break in between: normal (100% of the baseline tempo), quick (105% of the baseline tempo), and fast (110% of the baseline tempo). With each training week, the three RAS tempi will be increased by 5%. Schizophrenia patients in the experimental group will undergo upper limb movement training with the aid of RAS. The intervention protocol will last for 3 weeks on the weekday basis (a total of 15 sessions) with one session (40 minutes) per weekday.

BEHAVIORAL

No RAS for schizophrenia patients

The training protocol will be the same as that used in the experimental group except the lack of RAS during execution of the movement task.

BEHAVIORAL

RAS for at-risk individuals

A mobile application, "metronome beats" developed by Stonekick Limited, will be used to give RAS when the participant executes the movement. Before intervention, the participant is required to execute the movement task without the aid of RAS as quickly as possible for 30 seconds, so that we obtain his/her baseline movement tempo (beats per minute). For each 40-minute training session in the first training week, three RAS tempi will be provided for the first, second, and last 10 minutes with a five-minute break in between: normal (100% of the baseline tempo), quick (105% of the baseline tempo), and fast (110% of the baseline tempo). With each training week, the three RAS tempi will be increased by 5%. At-risk individuals in the experimental group will undergo upper limb movement training with the aid of RAS. The intervention protocol will last for 3 weeks on daily basis (a total of 21 sessions), with one training session (40 minutes) per day.

BEHAVIORAL

No RAS for at-risk individuals

The training protocol will be the same as that used in the experimental group except the lack of RAS during execution of the movement task.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Dr WANG Shumei

  lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

SINGLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

13 Years

Max Age

65 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2020-08-31

Primary Completion

2022-12-31

Completion

2022-12-31

Countries

• Hong Kong

Study Locations