NCT06375902

The Fragility of Metaphors (FraMe): Learning, Loosing, and How to Train Them

• Status: Enrolling By Invitation
• Phase: —
• Study type: Observational
• Enrollment: 64 (estimated)
• Sponsor: IRCCS San Raffaele · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 65 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

Tracking down the difficulties in metaphor comprehension experienced by individuals with schizophrenia across different metaphor types and exploring the neurological correlates via EEG recording technique

Detailed description

The investigators will address the following objectives: * Primary Objective: Tracking down the difficulties in metaphor comprehension experienced by individuals with schizophrenia across different metaphor types and exploring the neurological correlates via EEG recording technique * Secondary Objectives: 1) Evaluate the interactions between performances in metaphor comprehension and individual differences in psychopathology, cognition, ToM and functioning; 2) Test if the altered neurophysiological patterns associated to the fragility of metaphor comprehension in schizophrenia can be restored through a rehabilitative training The investigators will enroll 32 schizophrenic patients and 32 healthy subjects as control sample. Participants will undergo an initial visit with a specialist psychiatrist who will verify that their conditions meet the criteria required by the study. Then, subjects will be tested for metaphor comprehension, as well as for the other variables included in the study, and the electrical brain activity will be registered through a 128 channel EEG. In the check-up visits (i.e., after the training) the following data will be collected: * Scores relating to cognitive, pragmatic (understanding of metaphors), theory of mind and global functioning performance scores * EEG recordings related to the process of understanding metaphors * Scores on scales that evaluate psychopathological severity

Conditions

• Schizophrenia; Psychosis

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	PragmaCom	Cognitive behavioral intervention targeting the ability to understand metaphors

Timeline

• Start date: 2024-07-12
• Primary completion: 2025-10-01
• Completion: 2025-10-01
• First posted: 2024-04-19
• Last updated: 2025-01-24

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Italy