Testing Effect and Schizophrenia

When people are tested on a previously learned material, they will latter remember it better even when compared to a condition where they can re-study it. This phenomenon is called retrieval practice and is supported by an extensive research literature mostly carried out in normal students. This paradigm begins to be used in cognitive remediation programs in patients suffering from memory difficulties.

The objective of this study is to investigate whether retrieval practice is spared in patients with schizophrenia.

If effective, this method could be used in cognitive remediation programs.

Since episodic memory difficulties are supposed to be secondary to deficits in the initiation/elaboration of efficient encoding and retrieval strategies our hypothesis is that retrieval practice is spared in schizophrenia

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Key information

Conditions

Schizophrenia Episodic Memory Deficits Mental Disorders Schizophrenia Spectrum and Other Psychotic Disorders

Age range

18 year–60 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Centre Psychothérapique de Nancy, Laxou, France

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

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

Inclusion criteria

French is the native language, or acquired before 5 years old
People must be able to understand and follow the trial instructions

Specific inclusion criteria (for patients) :

Diagnostic of schizophrenia, according to the DSM -5, clinically stable
The treatment must remain unchanged during the trial

Exclusion criteria

Severe or acute cerebral disease
Other actual psychiatric disorder
Use of drugs with high anticholinergic effect
Irregular use of benzodiazepines medication, or high dose of benzodiazepin (more than 2 mg of lorazepam per day or equivalent)
Inappropriate use of drugs

Specific exclusion criteria (for healthy subjects) :

Diagnostic of schizophrenia of a relative up to the third degree

Treatment and study plan

Retrieval practice effect using word pairs and cued recall tests with feedback

Behavioral

In the first phase (encoding), people study a list of 48 word pairs non semantically associated.

Then (initial test), they recall half of word pairs or restudy the other half.

In the second phase (final test) which takes place 2 days later, they recall all the 48 the word pairs.

Primary outcomes

Number of word pairs properly recalled

Time frame: Final test : 2 days after the first experimental session
- The aim is to investigate the retrieval practice effect using word pairs and cued recall tests with feedback in patients with schizophrenia and healthy controls.
In the first phase (encoding), people study a list of 48 word pairs non semantically associated, then half of the pairs are presented in its completed form for two times, and for the other half the two subsequent re-exposure trials are framed as cued recall tests (the first word is presented and the subject has to remember and give orally the second word, and a feedback is given).

In the second phase (final test) which takes place 2 days later, all the 48 word pairs are presented as a cued recall test.
- We will compare in patients with schizophrenia and healthy controls final performance recall for information studied and recalled ("test" condition) to those for information studied and then re-studied ("re-study" condition).

Secondary outcomes

Difference between final performance recall and memory span score

Time frame: Final test : 2 days after the first experimental session

In each group (patients with schizophrenia and healthy controls) :

Difference between the final performance recall (see primary outcome measure) in "test" condition and "re-study" condition AND memory span score.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University Hospital, Strasbourg, France

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Retrieval Practice in Patients With Schizophrenia : an Exploratory Study Using Word Pairs

Important dates

Study start: 2014
Primary completion: 2015
Study completion: 2015
First posted: May 29, 2014
Registry last updated: Dec 22, 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.

Published trials that share one or more normalized conditions with this study.

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