Inter-Brain Synchrony in Schizophrenia

NCT ID: NCT07177261

Last Updated: 2026-01-09

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: RECRUITING
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 100 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2025-12-01
• Study Completion Date: 2027-11-30

Brief Summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to investigate for the first time in people with schizophrenia a neural mechanism that is thought to facilitate the formation of social connections - inter-brain synchrony - in order to improve scientific understanding of the neural mechanisms of social dysfunction in the disorder, and to provide a basis for the development of new and better treatments to improve social functioning and connectedness in the illness. The main questions it aims to answer are:

1. Investigate inter-brain synchrony as a neural mechanism of social connection in schizophrenia

2. Manipulate social closeness and test for effects on inter-brain synchrony across groups

The investigators will compare results from people with schizophrenia to a healthy comparison group (controls) who do not have psychotic disorders to see if inter-brain synchrony is greater in controls. Investigators will also compare measures of inter-brain synchrony before and after the social closeness manipulation to see if inter-brain synchrony changes with increasing closeness.

Participants will:

• Have a clinicial diagnostic interview and be assessed for clinical symptoms
• Have an EEG recorded while interacting with another person. Participants will first work with the other person to draw a figure, and then tap fingers together. Participants will then either undergo the experimental manipulation to increase social closeness (called, "fast friends") or undergo the control condition that does not increase social closeness (called "small talk"). Participants will then repeat the drawing and finger tapping assessment.
• After completing the experimental or control condition, participants will then repeat the procedure with the other condition that was not yet done.
• Be interviewed on the number and quality of social interactions.

Conditions

Schizophrenia Disorder

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: CROSSOVER
• Primary Study Purpose: BASIC_SCIENCE
• Blinding Strategy: NONE

Study Groups

Fast Friends

Participants will interact with another person while both have their EEG recorded. Participants will ask and answer 12 questions with the other person that become increasingly personal in nature, e.g., "When did you last cry in front of another person? By yourself?"

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Fast Friends

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Participants will interact with another person while both have their EEG recorded. They will ask and answer 12 questions with the other person that become increasingly personal in nature, e.g., "When did you last cry in front of another person? By yourself?"

Small Talk

Participants will interact with another person while both have their EEG recorded. Participants will ask and answer 12 impersonal questions with the other person , e.g., "Do you prefer digital watches and clocks or the kind with hands? Why?"

Group Type: ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Small Talk

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Participants will interact with another person while both have their EEG recorded. They will ask and answer 12 impersonal questions with the other person , e.g., "Do you prefer digital watches and clocks or the kind with hands? Why?"

Interventions

Fast Friends

Participants will interact with another person while both have their EEG recorded. They will ask and answer 12 questions with the other person that become increasingly personal in nature, e.g., "When did you last cry in front of another person? By yourself?"

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Small Talk

Participants will interact with another person while both have their EEG recorded. They will ask and answer 12 impersonal questions with the other person , e.g., "Do you prefer digital watches and clocks or the kind with hands? Why?"

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• sufficient English fluency to comprehend procedures
• clinical group will include individuals with a DSM-5 diagnosis of schizophrenia who are clinically stable (outpatients, with no hospitalizations 3 months prior to enrollment and no medication changes 1 month prior to enrollment)
• members of the community without a psychotic disorder, schizophrenia-spectrum disorder, or current major mood disorder, nor history of a first-degree relative with a psychotic disorder.

Exclusion Criteria

• evidence of IQ < 70 or developmental disability
• history of significant neurological disease, serious head injury, or significant current substance use (moderate or severe substance use disorder in the last 3 months, positive urine toxicology screen on the day of assessment, or sedatives/anxiolytics taken within 12 hours of the assessment)

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 65 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

NIH

Sponsor Role: collaborator

University of California, Los Angeles

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Jonathan Wynn, PhD

Researcher

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Eric Reavis, Phd

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

University of California, Los Angeles

Jonathan K Wynn, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

University of California, Los Angeles

Locations

University of California, Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California, United States

Site Status: RECRUITING

Countries

United States

Central Contacts

Eric Reavis, PhD

Role: CONTACT

ereavis@ucla.edu

310-206-8557

Jonathan K Wynn, PhD

Role: CONTACT

jkwynn@ucla.edu

310-478-3711 ext. 42192

Facility Contacts

Jonathan K Wynn, PhD

Role: primary

jkwynn@ucla.edu

310-478-3711 ext. 44957

Other Identifiers

1R21MH139044-01A1

Identifier Type: NIH

Identifier Source: secondary_id

View Link

IRB-25-1279

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id