Protocol Number: 99-M-0166

Title:

Investigation of Brain Function During Eyeblink Responding in Normal Volunteers and Patients with Schizophrenia (A Study of Behavior and Evoked Potentials)

Number:

99-M-0166

Summary:

The purpose of this study is to explore how the brain works during particular memory tasks in people with schizophrenia and healthy volunteers.

Research has shown that patients with schizophrenia have structural and functional abnormalities in the hippocampus and cerebellum of their brains. These abnormalities are likely associated with the memory impairment experienced by these patients. Eye blink tests can provide information about memory acquisition involving the cerebellar and hippocampal regions. By altering the stimuli interval, these tests can distinguish between cerebellum-dependent memory associated with subliminal mnemonic encoding and hippocampus-dependent memory associated with conscious awareness. This study will use eyeblink tests to determine which type of memory is predominantly affected in schizophrenia.

Participants in this study will be screened with a physical and psychiatric examination. Participants will have an electroencephalogram (EEG), an electrocardiogram (ECG), and an electrodermal test. Evoked potentials and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans of the brain may also be taken.

Sponsoring Institute:

National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

Recruitment Detail

Type: Completed Study; data analyses ongoing

Gender: Male & Female

Referral Letter Required: No

Population Exclusion(s): Children

Eligibility Criteria: This study is not currently recruiting new subjects. If you have questions about participating in a study, please contact the Patient Recruitment and Public Liaison Office, CC.

Special Instructions:

Subjects will be compensated for their time.

Keyword(s):

Schizophrenia

Eyeblink

Evoked Potentials

Learning

Recruitment Keyword(s):

Normal Volunteer

Schizophrenia

Healthy Volunteer

Condition(s):

Healthy

Schizophrenia

Investigational Drug(s):

None

Investigational Device(s):

None

Interventions:

None

Supporting Site:

National Institute of Mental Health

Contact(s):

This study is not currently recruiting new subjects. If you have questions about participating in a study, please contact the Patient Recruitment and Public Liaison Office, CC.

Citation(s):

Woodruff-Pak DS. Classical conditioning. Int Rev Neurobiol. 1997;41:341-66. Review.

Chen L, Bao S, Lockard JM, Kim JK, Thompson RF. Impaired classical eyeblink conditioning in cerebellar-lesioned and Purkinje cell degeneration (pcd) mutant mice. J Neurosci. 1996 Apr 15;16(8):2829-38.

Daum I, Schugens MM, Ackermann H, Lutzenberger W, Dichgans J, Birbaumer N. Classical conditioning after cerebellar lesions in humans. Behav Neurosci. 1993 Oct;107(5):748-56.

• Questions about participating in a study, please contact the Patient Recruitment and Public Liaison Office, CC.
• Technical questions regarding the Clinical Center web site, please contact the Department of Networks and Applications, CC.

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