SchizophreniaNCT02150174
Testing Effect and Schizophrenia
A study testing Retrieval practice effect using word pairs and cued recall tests with feedback in people with Schizophrenia and Episodic Memory Deficits, run by University Hospital, Strasbourg, France at 2 sites in France.
Trial summary
When people are tested on a previously learned material, they will latter remember it better even when compared to a condition where they can re-study it. This phenomenon is called retrieval practice and is supported by an extensive research literature mostly carried out in normal students. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 60 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Schizophrenia, Episodic Memory Deficits
- What is being tested?
- Retrieval practice effect using word pairs and cued recall tests with feedback
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 40 participants
- Where
- 2 sitesFrance
- Study dates
- Jul 2014to Aug 2015
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 to 60 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult
Who may be able to join
- French is the native language, or acquired before 5 years old
- People must be able to understand and follow the trial instructions
- Specific inclusion criteria (for patients) :
- Diagnostic of schizophrenia, according to the DSM -5, clinically stable
- The treatment must remain unchanged during the trial
Who cannot join
- Severe or acute cerebral disease
- Other actual psychiatric disorder
- Use of drugs with high anticholinergic effect
- Irregular use of benzodiazepines medication, or high dose of benzodiazepin (more than 2 mg of lorazepam per day or equivalent)
- Inappropriate use of drugs
- Specific exclusion criteria (for healthy subjects) :
- Diagnostic of schizophrenia of a relative up to the third degree
Trial locations and contacts
2 sites in 1 country.
France2 sites
Centre Psychothérapique de Nancy
Laxou, 54521
Service de psychiatrie - Hôpital Civil - CHRU Strasbourg
Strasbourg, 67091 Cedex
About this study
Official title: Retrieval Practice in Patients With Schizophrenia : an Exploratory Study Using Word Pairs
When people are tested on a previously learned material, they will latter remember it better even when compared to a condition where they can re-study it. This phenomenon is called retrieval practice and is supported by an extensive research literature mostly carried out in normal students. This paradigm begins to be used in cognitive remediation programs in patients suffering from memory difficulties.
The objective of this study is to investigate whether retrieval practice is spared in patients with schizophrenia.
Read more
If effective, this method could be used in cognitive remediation programs.
Since episodic memory difficulties are supposed to be secondary to deficits in the initiation/elaboration of efficient encoding and retrieval strategies our hypothesis is that retrieval practice is spared in schizophrenia
- Conditions
- Schizophrenia, Episodic Memory Deficits
- Being tested
- Retrieval practice effect using word pairs and cued recall tests with feedback
- Keywords
- Schizophrenia, Episodic memory deficits
- Medical subject headings
- Schizophrenia
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Retrieval practice effect using word pairs and cued recall tests with feedbackBehavioural
In the first phase (encoding), people study a list of 48 word pairs non semantically associated.
Then (initial test), they recall half of word pairs or restudy the other half.
In the second phase (final test) which takes place 2 days later, they recall all the 48 the word pairs.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Patients with schizophrenia | Experimental | Not described Receives: Behavioral: Retrieval practice effect using word pairs and cued recall tests with feedback |
| Healthy subjects | Active comparator | Not described Receives: Behavioral: Retrieval practice effect using word pairs and cued recall tests with feedback |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Number of word pairs properly recalled
- The aim is to investigate the retrieval practice effect using word pairs and cued recall tests with feedback in patients with schizophrenia and healthy controls.
In the first phase (encoding), people study a list of 48 word pairs non semantically associated, then half of the pairs are presented in its completed form for two times, and for the other half the two subsequent re-exposure trials are framed as cued recall tests (the first word is presented and the subject has to remember and give orally the second word, and a feedback is given).
In the second phase (final test) which takes place 2 days later, all the 48 word pairs are presented as a cued recall test.
- We will compare in patients with schizophrenia and healthy controls final performance recall for information studied and recalled ("test" condition) to those for information studied and then re-studied ("re-study" condition).
Measured: Final test : 2 days after the first experimental session
Secondary outcomes (1)
Difference between final performance recall and memory span score
In each group (patients with schizophrenia and healthy controls) :
Difference between the final performance recall (see primary outcome measure) in "test" condition and "re-study" condition AND memory span score.
Measured: Final test : 2 days after the first experimental session
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted29 May 2014 (estimated)
- Study startJul 2014
- Primary completion6 May 2015
- Study completionAug 2015
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (1)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for SchizophreniaStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Supportive care
- Allocation
- Non-randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 40 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University Hospital, Strasbourg, France
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT02150174
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 5806
- Status last verified
- Dec 2025
- First submitted
- 26 May 2014
- Last updated
- 22 Dec 2025
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
Publications
Jantzi C, Mengin AC, Serfaty D, Bacon E, Elowe J, Severac F, Meyer N, Berna F, Vidailhet P. Retrieval practice improves memory in patients with schizophrenia: new perspectives for cognitive remediation. BMC Psychiatry. 2019 Nov 11;19(1):355. doi: 10.1186/s12888-019-2341-y.
PubMed 31711448
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 22 Dec 2025. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Retrieval Practice in Patients With Schizophrenia : an Exploratory Study Using Word Pairs
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT02150174
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 5806
- Conditions
- Schizophrenia, Episodic Memory Deficits
- Keywords
- Schizophrenia, Episodic memory deficits
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 40 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- University Hospital, Strasbourg, FranceUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- Jul 2014 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 6 May 2015 (actual)
- Study completion
- Aug 2015 (actual)
- First posted
- 29 May 2014 (estimated)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
When people are tested on a previously learned material, they will latter remember it better even when compared to a condition where they can re-study it. This phenomenon is called retrieval practice and is supported by an extensive research literature mostly carried out in normal students. This paradigm begins to be used in cognitive remediation programs in patients suffering from memory difficulties.
The objective of this study is to investigate whether retrieval practice is spared in patients with schizophrenia.
If effective, this method could be used in cognitive remediation programs.
Since episodic memory difficulties are supposed to be secondary to deficits in the initiation/elaboration of efficient encoding and retrieval strategies our hypothesis is that retrieval practice is spared in schizophrenia
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Supportive care
- Allocation
- Non-randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Patients with schizophrenia | Experimental | Behavioral: Retrieval practice effect using word pairs and cued recall tests with feedback |
| Healthy subjects | Active comparator | Behavioral: Retrieval practice effect using word pairs and cued recall tests with feedback |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 60 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult
Key inclusion criteria (5 listed)
- French is the native language, or acquired before 5 years old
- People must be able to understand and follow the trial instructions
- Diagnostic of schizophrenia, according to the DSM -5, clinically stable
- The treatment must remain unchanged during the trial
Key exclusion criteria (7 listed)
- Severe or acute cerebral disease
- Other actual psychiatric disorder
- Use of drugs with high anticholinergic effect
- Irregular use of benzodiazepines medication, or high dose of benzodiazepin (more than 2 mg of lorazepam per day or equivalent)
- Inappropriate use of drugs
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Retrieval practice effect using word pairs and cued recall tests with feedbackIn the first phase (encoding), people study a list of 48 word pairs non semantically associated. Then (initial test), they recall half of word pairs or restudy the other half. In the second phase (final test) which takes place 2 days later, they recall all the 48 the word pairs. | Behavioural | Healthy subjects, Patients with schizophrenia |
Primary outcome
Number of word pairs properly recalled
Time frame: Final test : 2 days after the first experimental session
- The aim is to investigate the retrieval practice effect using word pairs and cued recall tests with feedback in patients with schizophrenia and healthy controls. In the first phase (encoding), people study a list of 48 word pairs non semantically associated, then half of the pairs are presented in its completed form for two times, and for the other half the two subsequent re-exposure trials are framed as cued recall tests (the first word is presented and the subject has to remember and give orally the second word, and a feedback is given). In the second phase (final test) which takes place 2 days later, all the 48 word pairs are presented as a cued recall test. - We will compare in patients with schizophrenia and healthy controls final performance recall for information studied and recalled ("test" condition) to those for information studied and then re-studied ("re-study" condition).
1 secondary outcome
Difference between final performance recall and memory span score
Time frame: Final test : 2 days after the first experimental session
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 22 Dec 2025.
- Results publication: PubMed 31711448Jantzi C, Mengin AC, Serfaty D, Bacon E, Elowe J, Severac F, Meyer N, Berna F, Vidailhet P. Retrieval practice improves memory in patients with schizophrenia: new perspectives for cognitive remediation. BMC Psychiatry. 2019 Nov 11;19(1):355. doi: 10.1186/s12888-019-2341-y.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
The record lists no contact. Use the official record to reach the sponsor.
2 sites in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Retrieval practice effect using word pairs and cued recall tests with feedback in people with Schizophrenia and Episodic Memory Deficits, run by University Hospital, Strasbourg, France at 2 sites in France.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 5 inclusion and 7 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 22 Dec 2025. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 2 sites in France. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Number of word pairs properly recalled (time frame: Final test : 2 days after the first experimental session). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT02150174, which also lists 1 linked publication.
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 22 Dec 2025; AzTrials last refreshed its copy on 28 Oct 2026.