schizophrenia
Conditions
Interventions
In the Pilot study and Study 3, healthy siblings of schizophrenia patients and
healthy control subjects are randomly assigned to an experimental or control
subgroup. The experimental subgroups will
Sponsors
Universitair Medisch Centrum Utrecht
Eligibility
Age
18 Years to 99 Years
Inclusion criteria
Inclusion criteria: All subjects: - Right-handedness - Written informed consent;Specific for schizophrenia patients: - DSM-IV diagnosis of schizophrenia - Age between 18 and 45;Specific for healthy siblings of patients with schizophrenia: - Age between 30 and 45;Specific for healthy volunteers: - Age between 18 and 45
Exclusion criteria
Exclusion criteria: All subjects: - Ferrous objects in or around the body (e.g. braces, glasses, pacemaker, metal fragments) - Drug or alcohol abuse over a period of six months prior to the experiment - History of closed- or open-head injury - History of neurological illness or endocrinological dysfunction - Claustrofobia - Major medical history - Chronic use of medication - History of epilepsy - History of epilepsy in first-degree relatives - Incapability of giving an informed consent - Symptoms indicative of schizophrenia;Specific for women: - Pregnancy;Specific for healthy siblings of patients with schizophrenia: - History of psychiatric illness;Specific for healthy volunteers: - History of psychiatric illness - First-degree family member with psychiatric illness
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| The main study parameter is brain activity in the frontostriatal system, as measured with functional magnetic resonance imaging. | — |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| Secondary study parameters associated with task performance (reaction time, accuracy), structural MRI (number of white matter fibers between areas, white-matter integrity), repetitive TMS (intensity of stimulation) and abnormalities in candidate genes for dopamine receptors. | — |
Countries
Netherlands
Outcome results
None listed