Inter-Brain Synchrony in Schizophrenia

Summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to investigate for the first time in people with schizophrenia a neural mechanism that is thought to facilitate the formation of social connections - inter-brain synchrony - in order to improve scientific understanding of the neural mechanisms of social dysfunction in the disorder, and to provide a basis for the development of new and better treatments to improve social functioning and connectedness in the illness. The main questions it aims to answer are:

1. Investigate inter-brain synchrony as a neural mechanism of social connection in schizophrenia
2. Manipulate social closeness and test for effects on inter-brain synchrony across groups

The investigators will compare results from people with schizophrenia to a healthy comparison group (controls) who do not have psychotic disorders to see if inter-brain synchrony is greater in controls. Investigators will also compare measures of inter-brain synchrony before and after the social closeness manipulation to see if inter-brain synchrony changes with increasing closeness.

Participants will:

* Have a clinicial diagnostic interview and be assessed for clinical symptoms
* Have an EEG recorded while interacting with another person. Participants will first work with the other person to draw a figure, and then tap fingers together. Participants will then either undergo the experimental manipulation to increase social closeness (called, "fast friends") or undergo the control condition that does not increase social closeness (called "small talk"). Participants will then repeat the drawing and finger tapping assessment.
* After completing the experimental or control condition, participants will then repeat the procedure with the other condition that was not yet done.
* Be interviewed on the number and quality of social interactions.

Conditions

• Schizophrenia Disorder

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Fast Friends

Participants will interact with another person while both have their EEG recorded. They will ask and answer 12 questions with the other person that become increasingly personal in nature, e.g., "When did you last cry in front of another person? By yourself?"

BEHAVIORAL

Small Talk

Participants will interact with another person while both have their EEG recorded. They will ask and answer 12 impersonal questions with the other person , e.g., "Do you prefer digital watches and clocks or the kind with hands? Why?"

Sponsors & Collaborators

• National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

  collaborator NIH

• University of California, Los Angeles

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Eric Reavis, Phd · University of California, Los Angeles

• Jonathan K Wynn, PhD · University of California, Los Angeles

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

BASIC_SCIENCE

Masking

NONE

Model

CROSSOVER

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Max Age

65 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2025-12-01

Primary Completion

2027-08-01

Completion

2027-11-30

Countries

• United States

Study Locations