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NCT Number: NCT07177261

Inter-Brain Synchrony in Schizophrenia

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.

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Key information

Age range

18 year–65 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

University of California, Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California, 90095, United States

Location status: Recruiting

Location contact

Jonathan K Wynn, PhD

CONTACT

[email protected]

310-478-3711 ext. 44957

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

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)

Treatment and study plan

Fast friends

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

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?"

Primary outcomes

  1. Interbrain synchrony

    Time frame: Interbrain synchrony will be measured immediately before and immediately following the procedure.

    Circular correlations for 8-10Hz activity across electrodes and dyads

Secondary outcomes

  1. Social Network Analysis

    Time frame: Measured at the start of the study only

    Measures of social and family social connections. Participants will be interviewed about the number of social and family connections they have, and if these contacts also know others identified by the participant. These connections will be analyzed with graph network analyses to determine the size and quality of social connections.

  2. Behavioral measures of synchrony

    Time frame: Investigators will measure these during each of the two maniuplations (small talk and fast friends).

    Investigators will video record interactions between dyads (including voice, body, face) and measure behavioral measures of synchrony

Study contacts

Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.

Eric Reavis, PhD

CONTACT

[email protected]

310-206-8557

Jonathan K Wynn, PhD

CONTACT

[email protected]

310-478-3711 ext. 44957

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University of California, Los Angeles

Other

Collaborators

  • National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

Registry information

Official study title

Inter-Brain Synchrony as a Neural Mechanism of Social Connection in Schizophrenia

Important dates

Study start
2025
Primary completion
2027
Study completion
2027
First posted
Sep 16, 2025
Registry last updated
Feb 3, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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