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NCT04004416CompletedPhase 4

Multi-modal Assessment of Gamma-aminobutyric Acid (GABA) Function in Psychosis

Multi-modal Assessment of GABA Function in Psychosis

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Last updated 17 Jun 2026

Brief summary (registry, in English)

The purpose of this study is to better understand mental illness and will test the hypotheses that, while viewing affective stimuli, patient groups will show increased blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) signal by fMRI after lorazepam. This study will enroll participants between the ages of 16 and 60, who have a psychotic illness (such as psychosis which includes conditions like schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, and mood disorders like bipolar disorder). The study will also enroll eligible participants between the ages of 18 and 60 without any psychiatric illness to compare their brains. The study will require participants to have 3-4 sessions over a few weeks. The initial assessments (may be over two visits) will include a diagnostic interview and several questionnaires (qols) to assess eligibility. Subsequently, there will be two separate functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) sessions in which lorazepam or placebo will be given prior to the fMRI. During the fMRI, the participants will also be asked to answer questions. Additionally, the participants will have their blood drawn, vital signs will be taken, they will be asked to complete more qols, and women of childbearing potential will have a urine pregnancy test.

Status (registry)
Completed
Phase (registry)
Phase 4
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
143 (actual)
First submitted
28 Jun 2019
Start date
16 Jan 2020
Primary completion date
28 Feb 2025
Lead sponsor
University of Michigan
NCT number
NCT04004416

What you commit to

  • Study type: Interventional · Phase 4
  • Participants enrolled: 143
  • From 16 Jan 2020 to the primary completion date, 28 Feb 2025
  • 1 site in 1 country
  • Visits and tests: ask the trial team, the registry does not list them

Built from the registry fields of ClinicalTrials.gov. It describes the study, not your situation.

Who cannot take part

Copied verbatim from ClinicalTrials.gov and grouped by topic. Only the trial team decides who can take part.

Other illness

  • History of serious neurological illness or current medical condition that could compromise brain function, such as liver failure
  • History of closed head injury, for example (e.g.) loss of consciousness \> \~5 min, hospitalization, neurological sequela
  • Hypersensitivity to benzodiazepines or to components of the formulation, per judgment of the principal investigator (PI)
  • Disorders affected by benzodiazepines, such as compromised respiratory function, e.g., chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or acute, narrow angle glaucoma, per judgment of the principal investigator (PI)
    • Schizophrenia/schizoaffective (SCZ) and bipolar affective disorder (BAD) patients:
  • History of serious neurological illness or current medical condition that could compromise brain function, such as liver failure
  • History of closed head injury, for example (e.g.) loss of consciousness \> \~5 min, hospitalization, neurological sequela
  • Hypersensitivity to benzodiazepines or to components of the formulation, per judgment of the principal investigator (PI)
  • Disorders affected by benzodiazepines, such as compromised respiratory function, e.g., chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or acute, narrow angle glaucoma, per judgment of the principal investigator (PI)
    • Healthy control subjects:
  • History of serious neurological illness or current medical condition that could compromise brain function, such as liver failure
  • History of closed head injury, for example (e.g.) loss of consciousness \> \~5 min, hospitalization, neurological sequela
  • Hypersensitivity to benzodiazepines or to components of the formulation, per judgment of the principal investigator (PI)
  • Disorders affected by benzodiazepines, such as compromised respiratory function, e.g., chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or acute, narrow angle glaucoma, per judgment of the principal investigator (PI)

Age

  • If a woman of childbearing age, not pregnant or trying to become pregnant
  • If a woman of childbearing age, not pregnant or trying to become pregnant
  • If a woman of childbearing age, not pregnant or trying to become pregnant

Who the study is looking for

  • Ability and willingness to give informed consent to participate;
  • 16-35 years old
  • Meets DSM5 criteria for schizophrenia, schizophreniform disorder, schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder type 1, with history of psychosis, major depressive disorder, with history of psychosis, brief psychotic disorder, or other specified/unspecified psychotic disorder; or, meets SIPS criteria for Presence of Psychotic Symptoms or Brief Intermittent Psychotic Syndrome (BIPS).
  • Positive symptom onset ≤ 2 years
  • No history of active substance use disorder in the past 2 months
  • Not currently on an involuntary treatment order
  • Not taking chronic narcotics, barbiturates, benzodiazepines
  • Absence of suicidal thoughts with plans or intentions, as assessed by Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS)
  • No increases in psychotropic medication within the prior 4 weeks reflecting clinical instability and for half of the EP sample, not taking antipsychotic medication within the prior 4 weeks. Patients may take as needed doses of benzodiazepines as clinically prescribed, as long as those doses are not required within 5 half-lives of an fMRI session
  • Ability to tolerate small, enclosed spaces without anxiety
  • Vision equal to or better than 20/40 on a Snellen chart, with correction if necessary
  • No metals, implants or metallic substances within or on the body that might cause adverse effects to the subject in a strong magnetic field, or interfere with image acquisition, e. g. aneurysm clips, retained particles (metal workers excluded), neurostimulators, foil-backed transdermal patches, carotid or cerebral stents, cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) shunts; magnetic dental implants, ferromagnetic ocular implants, pacemakers, automatic implantable defibrillators
  • Size compatible with scanner gantry, e. g. men over 6 feet tall that weigh more than 250 pounds (lbs), men under 6 feet tall that weigh over 220 lbs, women over 5'11" tall that weigh more than 220 lbs, or women under 5'10" tall that weigh more than 200 lbs. Subjects of these weights or greater typically have difficulty fitting into the fMRI scanner properly.
  • Ability and willingness to give informed consent to participate;
  • 16- 60 years old
  • Meets DSM5 criteria for schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, other specified/unspecified psychotic disorder, or bipolar disorder type 1, with history of psychosis bipolar affective disorder
  • Duration of positive symptom onset \> 2 years
  • No history of active substance use disorder in the past 2 months
  • Not currently on an involuntary treatment order
  • Not taking chronic narcotics, barbiturates, benzodiazepines
  • Absence of suicidal thoughts with plans or intentions, as assessed by Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS)
  • No increases in psychotropic medication within the prior 4 weeks reflecting clinical instability. Patients may take as needed doses of benzodiazepines as clinically prescribed, as long as those doses are not required within 5 half-lives of an fMRI session
  • Ability to tolerate small, enclosed spaces without anxiety
  • Vision equal to or better than 20/40 on a Snellen chart, with correction if necessary
  • No metals, implants or metallic substances within or on the body that might cause adverse effects to the subject in a strong magnetic field, or interfere with image acquisition, e. g. aneurysm clips, retained particles (metal workers excluded), neurostimulators, foil-backed transdermal patches, carotid or cerebral stents, cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) shunts; magnetic dental implants, ferromagnetic ocular implants, pacemakers, automatic implantable defibrillators
  • Size compatible with scanner gantry, e. g. men over 6 feet tall that weigh more than 250 pounds (lbs), men under 6 feet tall that weigh over 220 lbs, women over 5'11" tall that weigh more than 220 lbs, or women under 5'10" tall that weigh more than 200 lbs. Subjects of these weights or greater typically have difficulty fitting into the fMRI scanner properly.
  • Ability and willingness to give informed consent to participate
  • 18- 60 years old
  • No history of (h/o) past or current mental illness (except for simple phobias), but prior h/o substance abuse okay if in remission for greater than 5 years
  • Not taking any medication, prescription or non-prescription, with psychotropic effects (birth control medications allowed)
  • No first-degree family members with a history of a psychotic disorder (including bipolar disorder)
  • Ability to tolerate small, enclosed spaces without anxiety
  • Vision equal to or better than 20/40 on a Snellen chart, with correction if necessary
  • No metals, implants or metallic substances within or on the body that might cause adverse effects to the subject in a strong magnetic field, or interfere with image acquisition, e. g. aneurysm clips, retained particles (metal workers excluded), neurostimulators, foil-backed transdermal patches, carotid or cerebral stents, cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) shunts; magnetic dental implants, ferromagnetic ocular implants, pacemakers, automatic implantable defibrillators
  • Size compatible with scanner gantry, e. g. men over 6 feet tall that weigh more than 250 pounds (lbs), men under 6 feet tall that weigh over 220 lbs, women over 5'11" tall that weigh more than 220 lbs, or women under 5'10" tall that weigh more than 200 lbs. Subjects of these weights or greater typically have difficulty fitting into the fMRI scanner properly.

Criteria the registry did not label

  • Early psychosis (EP) patients:

Age in the registry: 16 years to 60 years · Sex: All · Accepts healthy volunteers

Full criteria on ClinicalTrials.gov

Sites (1)

Sites in registry order. Pick your city on the disease page to sort them by distance.

SiteCityCountrySite status
University of Michigan
Coordinator of this site? Confirm its status
Ann ArborUnited StatesUnknown status

This page is information, not medical advice. Discuss any trial with your doctor.