Recruiting

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'…

ClinicalTrials.gov IDNCT04159662
PhaseNot Applicable
Enrollment90
SponsorThe Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre
Age18 Years
SexALL
I'm interested View official listing

Conditions studied

Schizophrenia / Schizoaffective Disorder, Depression / Major Depressive Disorder

About this study

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.

Primary outcomes

Eligibility information

Inclusion Criteria: * 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 Criteria: * 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) * decisional incapacity requiring a guardian * taking medications that are rated as Anticholinergic Burden (ACB) Score 3 (severe) or taking benzodiazepines on a daily basis * 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.

Study locations

Before you participate: Varda Clinical is an independent discovery tool, not the study sponsor or a medical provider. Eligibility can only be determined by the official study team. Discuss potential risks and benefits with a qualified healthcare professional.

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov. Record last refreshed by Varda Clinical: 2026-09-27.