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NCT Number: NCT03649581

Investigation of Neurophysiological Markers, Possibly Specific of Two Subforms of Psychotic Disorders

The current diagnostic criteria for schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders are relatively broad and lack precision. Therefore, distinct diseases may be grouped together under the same diagnostic category, although these diseases may differ according to their clinical expression, prognosis and perhaps their physiopathological causes.

We think that identifying subforms of psychotic disorders that are more homogeneous will better enable to understand their respective physiopathological causes and find personalized treatments.

This study will compare two subforms of psychotic disorders that have been clinically distinguished in the 1970s. These phenotypes have however not been validated yet using scientific investigations.

Using clinical assessments, cognitive evaluations and neurophysiological measures (fMRI) investigating the domains of affect and psychomotoricity , we expect that these two subforms will differ on their clinical, cognitive and neurophysiological characteristics, namely: hebephrenia will be associated with deficits on the affect markers , and respect psychomotoricity (catatonia scales, tests assessing movement planification) whereas the opposite pattern will be observed for periodic catatonia.

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Key information

Conditions

Schizophrenia Mental Disorders Schizophrenia Spectrum and Other Psychotic Disorders

Age range

18 year–65 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Service de Psychiatrie I, Hôpital Civil, Hôpitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg

Strasbourg, 67091, France

Location status: Recruiting

Location contact

Fabrice BERNA, MD

CONTACT

[email protected]

33388116462

Fabrice BERNA, MD

PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Jack FOUCHER, MD

SUB_INVESTIGATOR

Julie CLAUSS, MD

SUB_INVESTIGATOR

Olivier MAINBERGER, MD

SUB_INVESTIGATOR

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

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

Inclusion criteria

  • for both patients and controls
  • male or female willing to participate and who have signed up the legal document
  • under the protection of health insurance for patients only
  • schizophrenia or schizo-affective disorder according to the DSM-5 criteria
  • periodic catatonia or hebephrenia accordin to WKL classification
  • clinically stable for at least 2 months
  • in or out patients for controls only
  • no psychiatric history

Exclusion criteria

  • for both patients and controls
  • current severe or unstable somatic illness
  • neurological history (epilepsia, brain injury, brain surgery…)
  • current substance use disorder (DSM-5)
  • current major depressive disorder (DSM-5)
  • mental retardation (IQ < 70)
  • pregnancy, breast feeding
  • current legal control
  • contra-indication for fMRI for controls only psychotropic intake during the last 3 weeks

Treatment and study plan

compare the two groups of schizophrenic patients

Other

Compare two groups of markers relating respectively to psychomotricity and affectivity in two subforms of schizophrenia: periodic catatonia and hebephrenia in order to highlight a possible double dissociation:

  • abnormalities of markers related to affectivity in Hebephrenia (with preservation of these markers in periodic catatonia),
  • abnormalities of markers related to psychomotricity in periodic catatonia (with markers of these tests in Hebephrenia).

compare the two groups of schizophrenic patients versus volunteers

Other

compare the results of the schizophrenic patient group with healthy volunteers

Primary outcomes

  1. Index of affect

    Time frame: 6 months after inclusion

    Compare two groups of markers relating respectively to affectivity in two subforms of schizophrenia: periodic catatonia and hebephrenia in order to highlight a possible double dissociation

  2. Index of psychomotoricity

    Time frame: 6 months after inclusion

    Compare two groups of markers relating to psychomotricity in two subforms of schizophrenia: periodic catatonia and hebephrenia in order to highlight a possible double dissociation

Study contacts

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

Fabrice BERNA, MD

CONTACT

[email protected]

03 88 11 64 62

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University Hospital, Strasbourg, France

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Investigation of Clinical, Cognitive and Neurophysiological Markers, Possibly Specific of Two Subforms of Psychotic Disorders

Acronym: NeuroSplitsz

Important dates

Study start
2019
Primary completion
2027
Study completion
2027
First posted
Aug 28, 2018
Registry last updated
Aug 3, 2025

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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