Brain Imaging Study to Understand Thinking and Memory in Adults with Schizophrenia, Schizoaffective Disorder, or Major Depression

What this Trial Is About

Schizophrenia and depression are serious disorders that can cause lasting cognitive difficulties, particularly in verbal memory and emotion regulation. These challenges affect patients ability to work or study even after other symptoms improve. Researchers aim to understand the brain mechanisms behind these cognitive problems in people with schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, or major depressive disorder by using brain imaging techniques. This study uses functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging fMRI, a method that creates 3D pictures of the brain to show activity levels in different areas. Participants will attend three visits. During the first two visits, they will complete questionnaires and perform thinking tasks on a computer. The third visit involves an fMRI brain scan while participants perform three short tasks using buttons to respond to words and pictures. Participants will be assessed through questionnaires, mental health history, and cognitive tasks across the visits. The main measurement is brain activity recorded with resting-state and task-based fMRI during the final visit. Each visit lasts about 2.5 hours, and the study is conducted at a mental health research institute. This research helps identify brain activity patterns linked to cognitive difficulties in these conditions.

Brain Imaging of Cognition Inn Schizophrenia and Depression