CommunicationCOCACENCT04533126
Channels of Communication & Brain Functioning: Pilot fMRI Study
An observational study of Communication and Personality, run by University Hospital, Tours at 1 site in France.
Trial summary
Communication is a social process involving individuals exchanging messages. It is usual to observe different reactions according to the manner of communication, the manner in which such information is exchanged. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 20 to 30 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Communication, Personality
- How many people
- 30 participants
- Where
- 1 siteFrance
- Study dates
- 15 Sep 2020to 1 Sep 2021
- Phase
- Observational
- 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 20 to 30 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult
Study population: Healthy participants, medical students
Who may be able to join
- Healthy volunteers.
- Both sexes (1:1).
- Aged between 20 and 30 years old.
- Medical student, from L2.
- A person who has signed a written, free and informed consent.
- Person affiliated to a social security scheme.
Who cannot join
- Current clinically significant psychiatric disorder (MINI 7.0): mood disorder, bipolar disorder, psychotic disorder, substance abuse.
- Current or past neurological disorder with current functional impact.
- Chronic unstable somatic pathology.
- Occasional use of medication other than contraceptives, migraine medication, or analgesics.
- MRI contraindications, including claustrophobia.
- Pregnant or breastfeeding woman.
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- Subject deprived of liberty (by a judicial or administrative decision).
- Subject protected by law (subject under guardianship and curatorship).
- Legal incapacity and/or other circumstances rendering the subject incapable of understanding the nature, purpose or consequences of the study.
- A person participating in a clinical drug study or in a period of exclusion from any clinical study due to previous participation.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
Official title: Canaux de COmmuniCAtion et Fonctionnement du CErveau: Étude Pilote en IRMf
Communication is a social process involving individuals exchanging messages. It is usual to observe different reactions according to the manner of communication, the manner in which such information is exchanged.
In this work, it will be examined how different communication modalities cause different reactions in a person. We make the assumption that each communication modality is based on a different brain network.
Read the detailed description
This work will use the Process Communication Model (PCM) that is a tool based on human behavior, created by Taibi Kahler. It helps to understand how people interact and communicate. In order to communicate well with a person, it is convenient to use an adapted channel of communication. PCM focuses on the mastery of fundamental communication skills that are required to adapt and connect with all types of people. The sets of adaptive communications skills are learning, assessing, adapting, predicting and resolution. PCM defines six basic personality types, and four different channels of communication. Each one has one or several favourite channels of communication. On the whole, there are the following four channels of communication: Prescriptive, Informative-Interrogative, fostering, Emotional-Ludic.
- In the prescriptive channel, the interlocutor should be firm and determined, without being aggressive.
- The informative/interrogative channel requires a neutral tone of voice, showing no particular emotion. The interlocutor should emphasize using questions as a tool to communicate with the person.
- The ludic/emotive channel emphasizes exclamations, interjections, and allows expressing one's desires and urges, with immediate reactions without thinking them twice.
- The fostering channel allows sharing one's emotions and feelings with the interlocutor in a close, warm, and caring way.
These channels refer to both the used words and to the non-verbal part of communication (gestures, mimic, tone of voice).
This study aims to characterize the brain regions involved in the response to the different channels of communication.
- Conditions
- Communication, Personality
- Keywords
- Communication channel, Personality, Brain network, fMRI, Process communication model
- Medical subject headings
- Communication
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Changes in fMRI activity level
Measure the differences in fMRI BOLD activation in healthy subjects while viewing typical videos of four different types of communication channels.
Measured: 1-day
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted31 Aug 2020
- Study start15 Sep 2020
- Primary completion1 Jun 2021
- Study completion1 Sep 2021
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 CommunicationStudies 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
- Observational
- Observational model
- Cohort
- Time perspective
- Cross-sectional
- Enrolment
- 30 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University Hospital, Tours
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Kahler Communication France
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- GISSOT Valérie, MD, Principal investigator, CHRU Tours - CIC1415
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT04533126
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- PHAO20-WEH-COCACE (DR200102)
- Acronym
- COCACE
- Status last verified
- Jun 2026
- First submitted
- 27 Aug 2020
- Last updated
- 18 Jun 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Publications
Oprea RC, Andersson F, Gissot V, Desmidt T, Siragusa M, Barantin L, Dubourg P, El-Hage W. Neural correlates of communication modes in medical students using fMRI. Brain Imaging Behav. 2025 Apr;19(2):446-455. doi: 10.1007/s11682-025-00985-z. Epub 2025 Feb 22.
PubMed 39984809
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 18 Jun 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Canaux de COmmuniCAtion et Fonctionnement du CErveau: Étude Pilote en IRMf
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT04533126
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- COCACE / PHAO20-WEH-COCACE (DR200102)
- Conditions
- Communication, Personality
- Keywords
- Communication channel, Personality, Brain network, fMRI, Process communication model
- Study type
- Observational
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 30 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- University Hospital, ToursUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Kahler Communication France
- Study start
- 15 Sep 2020 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 1 Jun 2021 (actual)
- Study completion
- 1 Sep 2021 (actual)
- First posted
- 31 Aug 2020 (actual)
- 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.
Communication is a social process involving individuals exchanging messages. It is usual to observe different reactions according to the manner of communication, the manner in which such information is exchanged.
In this work, it will be examined how different communication modalities cause different reactions in a person. We make the assumption that each communication modality is based on a different brain network.
Detailed description
This work will use the Process Communication Model (PCM) that is a tool based on human behavior, created by Taibi Kahler. It helps to understand how people interact and communicate. In order to communicate well with a person, it is convenient to use an adapted channel of communication. PCM focuses on the mastery of fundamental communication skills that are required to adapt and connect with all types of people. The sets of adaptive communications skills are learning, assessing, adapting, predicting and resolution. PCM defines six basic personality types, and four different channels of communication. Each one has one or several favourite channels of communication. On the whole, there are the following four channels of communication: Prescriptive, Informative-Interrogative, fostering, Emotional-Ludic.
- In the prescriptive channel, the interlocutor should be firm and determined, without being aggressive.
- The informative/interrogative channel requires a neutral tone of voice, showing no particular emotion. The interlocutor should emphasize using questions as a tool to communicate with the person.
- The ludic/emotive channel emphasizes exclamations, interjections, and allows expressing one's desires and urges, with immediate reactions without thinking them twice.
- The fostering channel allows sharing one's emotions and feelings with the interlocutor in a close, warm, and caring way.
These channels refer to both the used words and to the non-verbal part of communication (gestures, mimic, tone of voice).
This study aims to characterize the brain regions involved in the response to the different channels of communication.
Study design
- Observational model
- Cohort
- Time perspective
- Cross-sectional
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 20 to 30 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult
- Study population
- Healthy participants, medical students
Key inclusion criteria (6 listed)
- Healthy volunteers.
- Both sexes (1:1).
- Aged between 20 and 30 years old.
- Medical student, from L2.
- A person who has signed a written, free and informed consent.
Key exclusion criteria (10 listed)
- Current clinically significant psychiatric disorder (MINI 7.0): mood disorder, bipolar disorder, psychotic disorder, substance abuse.
- Current or past neurological disorder with current functional impact.
- Chronic unstable somatic pathology.
- Occasional use of medication other than contraceptives, migraine medication, or analgesics.
- MRI contraindications, including claustrophobia.
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Primary outcome
Changes in fMRI activity level
Time frame: 1-day
Measure the differences in fMRI BOLD activation in healthy subjects while viewing typical videos of four different types of communication channels.
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 18 Jun 2026.
- Results publication: PubMed 39984809Oprea RC, Andersson F, Gissot V, Desmidt T, Siragusa M, Barantin L, Dubourg P, El-Hage W. Neural correlates of communication modes in medical students using fMRI. Brain Imaging Behav. 2025 Apr;19(2):446-455. doi: 10.1007/s11682-025-00985-z. Epub 2025 Feb 22.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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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.
GISSOT Valérie, MD principal investigator
CHRU Tours - CIC1415
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
An observational study of Communication and Personality, run by University Hospital, Tours at 1 site 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 6 inclusion and 10 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 18 Jun 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site 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?
Changes in fMRI activity level (time frame: 1-day). 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 NCT04533126, 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 18 Jun 2026.