Effects of Auditory Stimulation on Sleep and Memory in Schizophrenia

N/AActive Not RecruitingNCT04783571

Massachusetts General Hospital70 enrolled

Overview

The investigators will test the hypothesis that auditory stimulation (playing quiet sounds during sleep) can normalize brain activity during sleep and improve memory in patients with schizophrenia. The investigators will do this by measuring sleep and memory performance under two conditions separated by one week: receiving auditory stimulation during sleep and not receiving auditory stimulation during sleep. The investigators will study healthy subjects and outpatients with schizophrenia.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

OTHER

Masking

DOUBLE

Enrollment

Conditions

Schizophrenia

Interventions

PlaceboOTHER

Auditory stimulation will not be delivered during the nap

Auditory StimulationOTHER

Auditory stimulation will be delivered during the nap

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 18 YearsMax age: 50 YearsHealthy volunteers:

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: For healthy controls: * Male and female subjects * 18-50 years of age * Proficient in English For schizophrenia patients: * Male and female schizophrenia outpatients * 18-50 years of age * Proficient in English * Able to give informed consent Exclusion Criteria: * Pregnant females * Current use of psychotropic medications (healthy controls only) * A history of head injury resulting in prolonged loss of consciousness or other neurological sequelae * IQ \<85 * Neurological disorder (including seizure disorder) * Significant hearing or vision loss * Current substance abuse or dependence (nicotine abuse or dependence is not exclusionary) * Any unstable chronic medical condition that affects sleep * Diagnosed sleep disorder

Locations (1)

Massachusetts General Hospital

Boston, Massachusetts, United States

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Differences in slow-oscillation spindle coupling

Differences in slow oscillation-spindle coupling during non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep as measured by EEG between placebo and auditory stimulation naps

Time frame: Placebo and auditory stimulation naps will be approximately one week apart

Secondary Outcomes

Differences in sleep-dependent consolidation of motor procedural memory

Differences in sleep-dependent improvement of motor procedural memory performance on the finger tapping motor sequence task (MST) between placebo and auditory stimulation naps. The MST involves pressing four numerically labeled keys on a standard keypad, repeating a 5 digit sequence as quickly and accurately as possible for 12 trials at 30 seconds each separated by 30 sec rest periods. Different sequences are employed for the placebo and stimulation visits in a counter-balanced order.

Time frame: Placebo and auditory stimulation naps will be approximately one week apart

Differences in slow oscillations

Differences in slow oscillations during non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep as measured by EEG between placebo and auditory stimulation naps

Time frame: Placebo and auditory stimulation naps will be approximately one week apart

Differences in sleep spindles

Differences in sleep spindles during non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep as measured by EEG between placebo and auditory stimulation naps

Time frame: Placebo and auditory stimulation naps will be approximately one week apart

Data from ClinicalTrials.gov

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