Clinical and neural variation in psychoses study
Research type
Research Study
Full title
An examination of the neural underpinnings of working memory processes in patients with or at risk for schizophrenia.
IRAS ID
128663
Contact name
Peter WR Woodruff
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
Research summary
This study explores novel gene-brain relationships by linking participants’ genetic predisposition to schizophrenia with brain function. Our participants of interest comprise familial groups who have a high genetic risk of schizophrenia.
The investigation will employ non-invasive Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) to investigate the structure and function of the brain. We will use a simple task that requires participant’s to use their short term ‘working’ memory (the n-back task). This has previously been studied using neuroimaging techniques and has shown reductions in activation of the prefrontal cortex of the brain in patients (Jansma et al., 2004). However, the relationships between the brain activations that are involved in performing this task and patients’ genetic makeup have not been explored.
The study will also investigate ‘resting state’ brain networks; how the brain behaves when it is doing nothing in particular (i.e. it is ‘resting’). This resting state is often disturbed in schizophrenia and may be associated with mechanisms for symptoms such as auditory hallucinations (Hunter et al., 2006). The current study will allow us to examine how genetic risk for schizophrenia affects the resting state and test the hypothesis that genetic risk is associated with faulty brain connections (Zhou et al., 2007). We will also extend the findings of Whitfield-Gabrieli et al., (2009) to determine whether failure to suppress the resting state during the n-back task is genetically determined. As well as looking at brain activations we will also look at the brain’s white matter (the ‘structure’) by using the MRI-acquisition technique of Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI).
We will also collect data on participant’s skin conductance level (a measure of bodily arousal) during the task so we can correlate brain activations with task performance and bodily arousal, allowing us to link cognition, arousal, task performance and genetics with diagnosis and symptoms.REC name
Yorkshire & The Humber - South Yorkshire Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
13/YH/0149
Date of REC Opinion
30 Jul 2013
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion