Psychotic Disorders
Conditions
Brief summary
Background: People with psychosis show profound deficits in memory. A new cognitive remediation therapy using an app on a computer or mobile phone to improve memory has been effective in this population, but the neurobiological effects are unknown. Objectives: 1) To use functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to examine brain changes during a working memory task before and after a 12 hour memory training intervention on a computer or mobile phone, 2) To use diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to examine white matter connecting prefrontal and parietal lobe before and after training. Methods: 46 people with psychosis will be randomized to a computerized training of either memory training or a control condition of non-memory games (language/card games) and will self-administer 4 hours of training over 4 days per week, for 3 weeks (12 hours total). Memory training will be done with the Peak app http://www.peak.net. Imaging data will be gathered with a 3 Tesla scanner pre and post training.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALPeak app for memory training
BEHAVIORALNon-memory training group
Sponsors
Brain & Behavior Research Foundation
University of Calgary
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE (Outcomes Assessor)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 40 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
1. Male or female and between the ages of 18 and 40 2. Able to understand and sign an informed consent document in English. 3. Meet diagnostic criteria for schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, schizophreniform disorder, delusional disorder, or psychosis not otherwise specified.
Exclusion criteria
1. Impaired intellectual functioning (full-scale IQ\<70). 2. Past or current history of a clinically significant central nervous system disorder that may contribute to psychotic symptoms or confound their assessment. 3. Current severe substance use disorder.
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| Change in functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging blood oxygen-dependent signal during working memory task performance before and after a 12 hour memory training intervention in people with early psychosis | 5 weeks |
| Change in diffusion tensor imaging measured change in fractional anisotropy during working memory task performance before and after a 12 hour memory training intervention in people with early psychosis | 5 weeks |
Outcome results
None listed