Role of Inferior Colliculi in Auditory Hallucinations

NCT ID: NCT07003529

Last Updated: 2025-12-09

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: RECRUITING
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 40 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2025-09-12
• Study Completion Date: 2026-09-30

Brief Summary

The neural basis of auditory hallucinations (AH) in patients with schizophrenia is poorly characterized. Functional imaging studies investigate either the "state" dimension (i.e., the measurement of changes in brain area activation at the precise moment of AH onset) or the "trait" dimension (i.e., the neural correlates of the propensity to hallucinate). A corollary of AH (particularly acoustic-verbal) is the activation of brain regions involved in the auditory perception of speech (auditory cortex). One theory is that patients with schizophrenia with AH may have a deficit in processing their internal speech (i.e., external attribution to internal verbal content). However, there is little clinical data on the specific role of the mesencephalic region of the inferior colliculi (IC) in the formation of these symptoms. Preliminary research has shown intense expression of dopamine D2 receptors, particularly on glutamatergic neurons in mouse ICs. Thus, ICs receive numerous inhibitory dopaminergic inputs, likely involved in signal optimization and modulation. The study authors hypothesize that AHs are the result of a defect in signal inhibition by the IC, which lose their function as perceptual filters.

Conditions

Schizophrenia; Hallucinations, Auditory

Study Design

• Allocation Method: NON_RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: OTHER
• Blinding Strategy: NONE

Study Groups

Patient Group (SCZ+/AH+)

schizophrenic patients experiencing auditory hallucinations

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Unenhanced brain MRI

Intervention Type: OTHER

Unenhanced brain MRI in five sequences: 1) T1-weighted anatomical sequences 2) Resting-state functional sequences 3) Task-based functional sequence 4) Structural sequence using Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) 5) Routine magnetic resonance spectroscopy sequence

Control Group (SCZ+/AH-)

schizophrenic patients without hallucinations

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Unenhanced brain MRI

Intervention Type: OTHER

Unenhanced brain MRI in five sequences: 1) T1-weighted anatomical sequences 2) Resting-state functional sequences 3) Task-based functional sequence 4) Structural sequence using Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) 5) Routine magnetic resonance spectroscopy sequence

Interventions

Unenhanced brain MRI

Unenhanced brain MRI in five sequences: 1) T1-weighted anatomical sequences 2) Resting-state functional sequences 3) Task-based functional sequence 4) Structural sequence using Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) 5) Routine magnetic resonance spectroscopy sequence

Intervention Type: OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• The patient must have given their free and informed consent and signed the consent form
• The patient must be a member or beneficiary of a health insurance plan
• DSM-5 diagnosis of schizophrenic disorder (based on clinical assessment and confirmed by the MINI 7.0 interview)
• Patient with a schizophrenic disorder lasting ≤ 20 years
• Patient treated in a psychiatric unit as an inpatient (in non-specialized care) or outpatient or under a mandatory ambulatory psychiatric care programme
• Clinical condition compatible with imaging based on clinical judgment
• Ability to understand, write, and read French

• Patient with a PANSS score (question P3 regarding hallucinations) = 1) AND having not experienced any hallucinations in the past 15 days.

Exclusion Criteria

• The patient is under safeguard of justice or state guardianship
• Contraindications to magnetic resonance imaging, including severe claustrophobia, based on clinical judgment.
• Congenital or acquired deafness
• Suicide risk, based on clinical judgment
• Patient with moderate to severe intellectual disability, based on medical records
• Patient with moderate to severe neurocognitive disorders, based on medical records
• Patient receiving anticholinergic therapy (biperiden-Akineton, trihexyphenidyl-Artane, tropatepine-Lepticur)
• Patient participating in an interventional study involving a drug or medical device, or a Category 1 RIPH within 3 months prior to inclusion
• Person under judicial protection
• Pregnant, parturient, or breastfeeding woman
• Person unable to express consent

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 60 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nīmes

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Responsibility Role: SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

Martin Pastre

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

CHU de Nimes

Locations

CHU de Nîmes, Hôpital Universitaire Carémeau

Nîmes, , France

Site Status: RECRUITING

Countries

France

Central Contacts

Martin Pastre

Role: CONTACT

matinpastre@gmail.com

06 95 55 68 80

Facility Contacts

Anissa Megzari

Role: primary

drc@chu-nimes.fr

04.66.68.42.36

Other Identifiers

NIMAO2024-2/MP-01

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id