Schizophrenia
Conditions
Keywords
sleep, memory, schizophrenia, auditory stimulation
Brief summary
The investigators will test the hypothesis that auditory stimulation (playing quiet sounds during sleep) can normalize brain activity during sleep and improve memory in patients with schizophrenia. The investigators will do this by measuring sleep and memory performance under two conditions separated by one week: receiving auditory stimulation during sleep and not receiving auditory stimulation during sleep. The investigators will study healthy subjects and outpatients with schizophrenia.
Interventions
OTHERPlacebo
Auditory stimulation will not be delivered during the nap
OTHERAuditory Stimulation
Auditory stimulation will be delivered during the nap
Sponsors
Massachusetts General Hospital
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
CROSSOVER
Primary purpose
OTHER
Masking
DOUBLE (Subject, Outcomes Assessor)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 50 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
For healthy controls: * Male and female subjects * 18-50 years of age * Proficient in English For schizophrenia patients: * Male and female schizophrenia outpatients * 18-50 years of age * Proficient in English * Able to give informed consent
Exclusion criteria
* Pregnant females * Current use of psychotropic medications (healthy controls only) * A history of head injury resulting in prolonged loss of consciousness or other neurological sequelae * IQ \<85 * Neurological disorder (including seizure disorder) * Significant hearing or vision loss * Current substance abuse or dependence (nicotine abuse or dependence is not exclusionary) * Any unstable chronic medical condition that affects sleep * Diagnosed sleep disorder
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Differences in slow-oscillation spindle coupling | Placebo and auditory stimulation naps will be approximately one week apart | Differences in slow oscillation-spindle coupling during non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep as measured by EEG between placebo and auditory stimulation naps |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Differences in sleep-dependent consolidation of motor procedural memory | Placebo and auditory stimulation naps will be approximately one week apart | Differences in sleep-dependent improvement of motor procedural memory performance on the finger tapping motor sequence task (MST) between placebo and auditory stimulation naps. The MST involves pressing four numerically labeled keys on a standard keypad, repeating a 5 digit sequence as quickly and accurately as possible for 12 trials at 30 seconds each separated by 30 sec rest periods. Different sequences are employed for the placebo and stimulation visits in a counter-balanced order. |
| Differences in slow oscillations | Placebo and auditory stimulation naps will be approximately one week apart | Differences in slow oscillations during non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep as measured by EEG between placebo and auditory stimulation naps |
| Differences in sleep spindles | Placebo and auditory stimulation naps will be approximately one week apart | Differences in sleep spindles during non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep as measured by EEG between placebo and auditory stimulation naps |
Countries
United States
Outcome results
None listed