Schizophrenia Disorders
Conditions
Keywords
music, training, plasticity
Brief summary
Schizophrenia spectrum disorders are associated with impairment in the microstructure of white matter, the key brain tissue responsible for fast communication between different brain regions necessary for any complex task. This white matter impairment is linked to problems with cognition in schizophrenia, especially slower processing speed. This project aims to study the potential for correcting white matter deficits in schizophrenia by examining mechanisms underlying white matter structure changes in response to training on playing a mock musical instrument.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALMusic video game
The video game \'Guitar Hero\' will be used as the platform for training for participants to acquire a new \'skill\'
Sponsors
University of Maryland, Baltimore
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
SINGLE (Outcomes Assessor)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
15 Years to 45 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* Diagnosis of schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, schizophreniform disorder, or psychosis NOS * age 15-45 * able to provide informed consent
Exclusion criteria
* contraindications to MRI (metal implants, claustrophobia) * medical condition that limits use of hands (ie, arthritis) * Active or recent (within 6 months) substance use disorder other than nicotine
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| White matter microstructure | 3 weeks | fractional anisotropy of white matter tracts as assessed with diffusion tensor imaging |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Brain level of N-acetylaspartate | 3 weeks | NAA levels in motor cortex of brain as measured with magnetic resonance spectroscopy |
Countries
United States
Contacts
CONTACTJoshua J Chiappelli, MD
Outcome results
None listed