Brain Imaging Study of Memory and Emotion in Schizophrenia and Depression
Uses brain imaging to study memory and emotion problems in schizophrenia and depression.
Plain-language title generated from the registry record
Registry title: Brain Imaging of Cognition Inn Schizophrenia and Depression
Key facts
- Where
- Ottawa, CanadaSee the site
Could this be for you?
Answer for yourself. This is not a decision: only the study team can say whether you can take part.
- Are you between 18 and 60 years old?
Source: NCT04159662, who can take part
Where in Canada
- Royal Ottawa Mental Health CenterOttawa, CanadaTaking people
Questions to ask the study team
- How often do I need to come in, and for how long each time?
- Are travel costs paid?
- Can I keep my own doctor?
- What happens if I want to stop?
Trial details
- Who runs it
- The Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre
- Trial code
- NCT04159662
- Record updated
- 23 March 2026
- Original description
Schizophrenia and depression are among the most disabling disorders in all of medicine. Cognitive deficits play a key role in patients' disability, affecting their capacity to contribute actively to society by sustaining employment or academic activity. Moreover, cognitive difficulties tend to persist even after the stabilization of other clinical symptoms. Verbal memory and emotion regulation are two important cognitive domains that are impaired in schizophrenia and depression and are associated with patients' functional outcomes. In this study, brain imaging is used to investigate the brain mechanisms underlying these cognitive deficits in these populations.Read full original descriptionShow less
Brain Imaging of Cognition Inn Schizophrenia and Depression
Schizophrenia and depression are among the most disabling disorders in all of medicine. Cognitive deficits play a key role in patients' disability, affecting their capacity to contribute actively to society by sustaining employment or academic activity. Moreover, cognitive difficulties tend to persist even after the stabilization of other clinical symptoms. Verbal memory and emotion regulation are two important cognitive domains that are impaired in schizophrenia and depression and are associated with patients' functional outcomes. In this study, brain imaging is used to investigate the brain mechanisms underlying these cognitive deficits in these populations.
Inclusion: age 18-60 years; current Intelligence Quotient (IQ) > 70 as measured by the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence (WASI); the ability to read and speak fluent English; a diagnosis of schizophrenia, schizoaffective or major depression disorder; stable medication for more than one month.
Exclusion: taking medications that are rated as Anticholinergic Burden (ACB) Score 3 (severe) or taking benzodiazepines on a daily basis; significant neurological or other medical disorders that may produce cognitive impairment; a recent history of substance abuse or dependence (within the past 3 months); any magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contraindications (e.g. metallic head implant, history of seizure, pacemaker); Finally, participants could not be severely symptomatic at the time of study enrolment to ensure that they could understand and complete all study assessments. This criterion was defined as a score ≤34 on the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS; Montgomery \& Åsberg, 1979) for the MDD group and a score ≤95 on the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS; Kay et al., 1987) for the SZ group; decisional incapacity requiring a guardian.