Schizophrenia; Psychosis
Conditions
Keywords
language, pragmatics, rehabilitation, electrophysiology
Brief summary
Tracking down the difficulties in metaphor comprehension experienced by individuals with schizophrenia across different metaphor types and exploring the neurological correlates via EEG recording technique
Detailed description
The investigators will address the following objectives: * Primary Objective: Tracking down the difficulties in metaphor comprehension experienced by individuals with schizophrenia across different metaphor types and exploring the neurological correlates via EEG recording technique * Secondary Objectives: 1) Evaluate the interactions between performances in metaphor comprehension and individual differences in psychopathology, cognition, ToM and functioning; 2) Test if the altered neurophysiological patterns associated to the fragility of metaphor comprehension in schizophrenia can be restored through a rehabilitative training The investigators will enroll 32 schizophrenic patients and 32 healthy subjects as control sample. Participants will undergo an initial visit with a specialist psychiatrist who will verify that their conditions meet the criteria required by the study. Then, subjects will be tested for metaphor comprehension, as well as for the other variables included in the study, and the electrical brain activity will be registered through a 128 channel EEG. In the check-up visits (i.e., after the training) the following data will be collected: * Scores relating to cognitive, pragmatic (understanding of metaphors), theory of mind and global functioning performance scores * EEG recordings related to the process of understanding metaphors * Scores on scales that evaluate psychopathological severity
Interventions
BEHAVIORALPragmaCom
Cognitive behavioral intervention targeting the ability to understand metaphors
Sponsors
IRCCS San Raffaele
Study design
Observational model
CASE_CONTROL
Time perspective
PROSPECTIVE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 65 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
For patients: * Age between 18 and 65 years * Diagnosis of Schizophrenia according to DSM V criteria * Ability to provide informed consent For healthy controls: * Age between 18 and 65 years * Ability to provide informed consent * Absence of psychiatric pathologies * Ability to speak Italian
Exclusion criteria
For patients: * Intellectual disability * Neurological disorder For healthy controls: * Presence of psychiatric pathologies * Difficulties in speaking Italian
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Tracking down the difficulties in metaphor comprehension via a behavioural task | through study completion, an average of 2 years | Tracking down the difficulties in metaphor comprehension experienced by individuals with schizophrenia compared to healthy controls across different metaphor types through the Physical and mental metaphor task (PMM) (range values 0-28, higher scores mean a better outcome). |
| Tracking down the difficulties in metaphor comprehension via task during electrophysiological recording | through study completion, an average of 2 years | Exploring the difference in the neurological correlates (via electrophysiological recording technique) between patients and controls. Electrophysiological indexes that will be evaluated are event-related potential after the stimulus presentation. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Evaluation of Theory of Mind | through study completion, an average of 2 years | Evaluate Theory of Mind with the Picture sequencing task (PST) (range score 0-56, higher scores mean a better outcome). |
| Evaluation of psychopathology | through study completion, an average of 2 years | Evaluate psychopathology with the Positive and Negative Syndrome scale (PANSS) (range values 30-210, higher scores mean a worse outcome). |
| Evaluate the efficacy of a rehabilitative training in restoring metaphor comprehension ability | through study completion, an average of 2 years | Test te improvement of metaphor comprehension, evaluated with the Physical and mental metaphor task (PMM) (range values 0-28, higher scores mean a better outcome). |
| Evaluation of functioning | through study completion, an average of 2 years | Evaluate functioning, with the Quality of life scale (QLS) (range score 0-126, higher scores mean a better outcome). |
| Evaluation of cognition | through study completion, an average of 2 years | Evaluate cognition in schizophrenia with the Brief assessement of cognition in schizophrenia (BACS) (range total score 0-1, higher scores mean a better outcome). |
Countries
Italy
Outcome results
None listed