Perception and Integration of Sensory Information in the Early Stages of Psychosis

Starting soon · Not applicable

Conditions studied: Early Psychosis, Schizophrenia Prodromal

In brief

The goal of this observational study is to investigate the early sensory system in clinical high risk (CHR), first episode psychosis (FEP) individuals and heathly controls. The main questions it aims to answer are: * Can anomalies in visual and auditory sensory processing serve as early markers of psychosis risk? * How are these sensory anomalies related to clinical symptom severity and emotional recognition deficits? Researchers will compare CHR and PEP participants to healthy controls to see if sensory processing differences can help identify individuals at higher risk of developing psychosis. Participants will: * Complete behavioral tasks evaluating visual processing (contrast sensitivity, contour integration, facial emotion recognition, visual inference using Necker cubes) and auditory processing (tone-matching, auditory emotion recognition). A temporal perception component will also be assessed within the auditory and emotion recognition tasks, rather than as a separate task. * Undergo electrophysiological assessments of retinal function using flash stimulation to record retinal potentials (a-wave, b-wave, phNR, oscillatory potentials). * Provide demographic, clinical, and neuropsychological data during study visits. * For CHR participants, attend follow-up visits up to 6 months post initial assessments to evaluate psychotic symptom progression.

Key facts

Study ID: NCT07446569
Run by: Centre Psychothérapique de Nancy
People needed: 294
Starts: 2026-04-01
Expected to finish: 2028-11-01
Last updated by the study team: 2026-03-03

Who can join

Age: 18 and older, up to 30. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: accepted.

You may qualify if…

All groups:
Age between 18 and 30 years
Normal or corrected-to-normal visual acuity
Affiliated with or dependent on a social security health insurance plan
Provided informed consent and co-signed the study consent form with the investigator
Proficient in French
Control group (TEM) specific criteria:
No current psychiatric disorder (DSM-IV Axis I), except anxiety disorders
No lifetime history of (hypo)manic episodes or psychotic disorders
No first-degree family history of schizophrenia spectrum disorders
No regular use (more than one month continuously) in the past 6 months of the following medications: benzodiazepines, hypnotics, antidepressants, antipsychotics, mood stabilizers, or psychostimulants
Clinical High-Risk (CHR) group specific criteria:
Meet CHR criteria according to CAARMS: Attenuated positive symptoms (APS) below clinical threshold in intensity or frequency OR Brief Limited Intermittent Psychotic Symptoms (SPLI) OR Genetic Risk
First-Episode Psychosis (PEP) group specific criteria:
Meet PEP criteria according to CAARMS (psychosis threshold reached)

You may not qualify if…

Pregnant, postpartum, or breastfeeding women
Individuals deprived of liberty by judicial or administrative decision
Individuals in a life-threatening emergency
Adults under legal protection measures
Adults unable to provide consent and not under legal protection
Impairment that makes participation in the study or understanding of information difficult or impossible
Alcohol dependence (AUDIT score ≥12 for men, ≥11 for women)
Current substance use disorder (DAST score >6)
Cannabis use disorder (CUDIT-R score ≥13)
History of neurological disorders, including progressive neurological disease
Progressive retinal disease
Chronic glaucoma
Ophthalmologic conditions affecting visual acuity
Current eye infection
Hearing disorders affecting auditory acuity
Criteria incompatible with the electroretinographic device:
Presence of photosensitive epilepsy
Allergy to components of the electrode gel
Behavioral problems causing extreme agitation or aggression
Eye or surrounding tissue lesions that may come into contact with the device

Where it is running

Centre Hospitalier Le Vinatier — Bron, France
Centre Psychothérapique de Nancy — Laxou, France
Centre Hospitalier Alpes-Isère — Saint-Égrève, France
Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Saint Etienne — Saint-Priest-en-Jarez, France

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

Trial information comes from ClinicalTrials.gov and is refreshed daily. TrialsForMe does not provide medical care and does not run the studies it lists.