NCT07853079Not yet recruiting
Motivational Intervention for Patients With Schizophrenia
Effects of a Motivational Intervention on the Neural Mechanisms of Apathy in Patients With Schizophrenia - a Randomized Controlled Trial
Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Last updated 1 Oct 2026
Brief summary (registry, in English)
The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if a group therapy called the Positive Emotions Program for Schizophrenia (PEPS) can reduce apathy in adults aged 18 to 60 who have schizophrenia or a related psychotic disorder. Apathy means having little motivation or drive and getting less pleasure from daily life. The trial will also look at how the brain responds to this therapy. The main questions it aims to answer are: Do people who take part in PEPS have less apathy after the therapy than people who continue with their usual care? Does PEPS increase activity in a brain areas important for motivation? Are changes in brain activity linked to changes in apathy? Researchers will compare PEPS with usual care (regular visits with the treating psychiatrist and nurse, without PEPS) to see if PEPS reduces apathy. They will also compare brain scans of people with schizophrenia to those of healthy volunteers, to see whether brain activity after PEPS becomes more similar to that of people without the illness. Participants with schizophrenia will: * Be placed by chance into one of two groups: PEPS or usual care * Have an interview and questionnaires about their symptoms * Have an MRI brain scan while doing computer tasks * In the PEPS group, attend 8 weekly group sessions of 1 hour led by a psychologist. They will learn skills to notice, enjoy and look forward to pleasant moments, to question discouraging thoughts, and to share positive feelings with others. They will also do short exercises at home. * In the usual-care group, continue their usual care for 8 weeks. They will be offered PEPS after the study ends. * Repeat the interview and the brain scan within 2 weeks after the 8-week period
- Status (registry)
- Not yet recruiting
- Study type
- Interventional
- Enrollment
- 88 (estimated)
- First submitted
- 27 Sept 2026
- Start date
- 1 Oct 2026
- Primary completion date
- 30 Sept 2028
- Lead sponsor
- University of Geneva, Switzerland
- Diseases
- Schizophrenia
- NCT number
- NCT07853079
What you commit to
- Study type: Interventional
- Planned participants: 88
- From 1 Oct 2026 to the primary completion date, 30 Sept 2028
- No sites listed in no 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
- Current diagnosis of neurological disease,
- Stimulant, opiate or alcohol use disorder
Other
- Current major depressive episode
- Psychotic symptoms with major impact on the daily life of the patient based on the clinician's judgment.
- Extrapyramidal symptoms with major impact on the daily life of the patient based on the clinician's judgment
- Contra-indication for MRI (e.g. Pregnancy, Pacemaker)
Who the study is looking for
- 18-60 years old
- Capacity to give informed consent
- Clinically diagnosis of schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder or unspecified nonorganic psychosis
- Clinically stable as judged by the treating psychiatrist and no hospitalization or change of medication two weeks prior to study entry
- At least on negative symptom at a moderate level (3 on the BNSS) based on the clinician's judgment.
Age in the registry: 18 years to 60 years · Sex: All · Does not accept healthy volunteers
This page is information, not medical advice. Discuss any trial with your doctor.