Schizophrenia DisorderNCT07177261
Inter-Brain Synchrony in Schizophrenia
A study testing Fast Friends and Small Talk in people with Schizophrenia Disorder, run by University of California, Los Angeles at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
The goal of this clinical trial is to investigate for the first time in people with schizophrenia a neural mechanism that is thought to facilitate the formation of social connections - inter-brain synchrony - in order to improve scientific understanding of the neural mechanisms of social dysfunction in the disorder… Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 65 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Schizophrenia Disorder
- What is being tested?
- Fast Friends and Small Talk
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 100 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 11 Nov 2025to 30 Nov 2027
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
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 65 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- sufficient English fluency to comprehend procedures
- clinical group will include individuals with a DSM-5 diagnosis of schizophrenia who are clinically stable (outpatients, with no hospitalizations 3 months prior to enrollment and no medication changes 1 month prior to enrollment)
- members of the community without a psychotic disorder, schizophrenia-spectrum disorder, or current major mood disorder, nor history of a first-degree relative with a psychotic disorder.
Who cannot join
- evidence of IQ < 70 or developmental disability
- history of significant neurological disease, serious head injury, or significant current substance use (moderate or severe substance use disorder in the last 3 months, positive urine toxicology screen on the day of assessment, or sedatives/anxiolytics taken within 12 hours of the assessment)
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
United States1 site, 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
University of California, Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California, 90095
Jonathan K Wynn, PhD, 310-478-3711 ext. 44957, jkwynn@ucla.edu
About this study
Official title: Inter-Brain Synchrony as a Neural Mechanism of Social Connection in Schizophrenia
The goal of this clinical trial is to investigate for the first time in people with schizophrenia a neural mechanism that is thought to facilitate the formation of social connections - inter-brain synchrony - in order to improve scientific understanding of the neural mechanisms of social dysfunction in the disorder, and to provide a basis for the development of new and better treatments to improve social functioning and connectedness in the illness. The main questions it aims to answer are:
- Investigate inter-brain synchrony as a neural mechanism of social connection in schizophrenia
- Manipulate social closeness and test for effects on inter-brain synchrony across groups
Read more
The investigators will compare results from people with schizophrenia to a healthy comparison group (controls) who do not have psychotic disorders to see if inter-brain synchrony is greater in controls. Investigators will also compare measures of inter-brain synchrony before and after the social closeness manipulation to see if inter-brain synchrony changes with increasing closeness.
Participants will:
- Have a clinicial diagnostic interview and be assessed for clinical symptoms
- Have an EEG recorded while interacting with another person. Participants will first work with the other person to draw a figure, and then tap fingers together. Participants will then either undergo the experimental manipulation to increase social closeness (called, "fast friends") or undergo the control condition that does not increase social closeness (called "small talk"). Participants will then repeat the drawing and finger tapping assessment.
- After completing the experimental or control condition, participants will then repeat the procedure with the other condition that was not yet done.
- Be interviewed on the number and quality of social interactions.
- Conditions
- Schizophrenia Disorder
- Being tested
- Fast Friends, Small Talk
- Keywords
- schizophrenia, EEG, interbrain synchrony, hyperscanning, social connections
- Medical subject headings
- Schizophrenia
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Fast FriendsBehavioural
Participants will interact with another person while both have their EEG recorded. They will ask and answer 12 questions with the other person that become increasingly personal in nature, e.g., "When did you last cry in front of another person? By yourself?"
Small TalkBehavioural
Participants will interact with another person while both have their EEG recorded. They will ask and answer 12 impersonal questions with the other person , e.g., "Do you prefer digital watches and clocks or the kind with hands? Why?"
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Fast Friends | Experimental | Participants will interact with another person while both have their EEG recorded. Participants will ask and answer 12 questions with the other person that become increasingly personal in nature, e.g., "When did you last cry in front of another person? By yourself?" Receives: Behavioral: Fast Friends |
| Small Talk | Active comparator | Participants will interact with another person while both have their EEG recorded. Participants will ask and answer 12 impersonal questions with the other person , e.g., "Do you prefer digital watches and clocks or the kind with hands? Why?" Receives: Behavioral: Small Talk |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Interbrain synchrony
Circular correlations for 8-10Hz activity across electrodes and dyads
Measured: Interbrain synchrony will be measured immediately before and immediately following the procedure.
Secondary outcomes (2)
Social Network Analysis
Measures of social and family social connections. Participants will be interviewed about the number of social and family connections they have, and if these contacts also know others identified by the participant. These connections will be analyzed with graph network analyses to determine the size and quality of social connections.
Measured: Measured at the start of the study only
Behavioral measures of synchrony
Investigators will video record interactions between dyads (including voice, body, face) and measure behavioral measures of synchrony
Measured: Investigators will measure these during each of the two maniuplations (small talk and fast friends).
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted16 Sep 2025
- Study start11 Nov 2025
- Primary completion1 Aug 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion30 Nov 2027 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Schizophrenia DisorderStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by University of California, Los AngelesThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- 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
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Crossover
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 100 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University of California, Los Angeles
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Jonathan Wynn, PhD, University of California, Los Angeles
- Investigators
- Eric Reavis, Phd, Principal investigator, University of California, Los AngelesJonathan K Wynn, PhD, Principal investigator, University of California, Los Angeles
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07177261
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- IRB-25-1279
- Other IDs
- 1R21MH139044-01A1
- Status last verified
- Aug 2026
- First submitted
- 2 Sep 2025
- Last updated
- 11 Aug 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Yes: EEG measures of interbrain synchrony, clinicial symptom ratings, social connectedness measures
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 11 Aug 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Inter-Brain Synchrony as a Neural Mechanism of Social Connection in Schizophrenia
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07177261
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- IRB-25-1279
- Conditions
- Schizophrenia Disorder
- Keywords
- schizophrenia, EEG, interbrain synchrony, hyperscanning, social connections
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Enrolment
- 100 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- University of California, Los AngelesUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
- Study start
- 11 Nov 2025 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 1 Aug 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 30 Nov 2027 (estimated)
- First posted
- 16 Sep 2025 (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.
The goal of this clinical trial is to investigate for the first time in people with schizophrenia a neural mechanism that is thought to facilitate the formation of social connections - inter-brain synchrony - in order to improve scientific understanding of the neural mechanisms of social dysfunction in the disorder, and to provide a basis for the development of new and better treatments to improve social functioning and connectedness in the illness. The main questions it aims to answer are:
- Investigate inter-brain synchrony as a neural mechanism of social connection in schizophrenia
- Manipulate social closeness and test for effects on inter-brain synchrony across groups
The investigators will compare results from people with schizophrenia to a healthy comparison group (controls) who do not have psychotic disorders to see if inter-brain synchrony is greater in controls. Investigators will also compare measures of inter-brain synchrony before and after the social closeness manipulation to see if inter-brain synchrony changes with increasing closeness.
Participants will:
- Have a clinicial diagnostic interview and be assessed for clinical symptoms
- Have an EEG recorded while interacting with another person. Participants will first work with the other person to draw a figure, and then tap fingers together. Participants will then either undergo the experimental manipulation to increase social closeness (called, "fast friends") or undergo the control condition that does not increase social closeness (called "small talk"). Participants will then repeat the drawing and finger tapping assessment.
- After completing the experimental or control condition, participants will then repeat the procedure with the other condition that was not yet done.
- Be interviewed on the number and quality of social interactions.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Crossover
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Fast Friends | Experimental | Behavioral: Fast FriendsParticipants will interact with another person while both have their EEG recorded. Participants will ask and answer 12 questions with the other person that become increasingly personal in nature, e.g., "When did you last cry in front of another person? By yourself?" |
| Small Talk | Active comparator | Behavioral: Small TalkParticipants will interact with another person while both have their EEG recorded. Participants will ask and answer 12 impersonal questions with the other person , e.g., "Do you prefer digital watches and clocks or the kind with hands? Why?" |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 65 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (3 listed)
- sufficient English fluency to comprehend procedures
- clinical group will include individuals with a DSM-5 diagnosis of schizophrenia who are clinically stable (outpatients, with no hospitalizations 3 months prior to enrollment and no medication changes 1 month prior to enrollment)
- members of the community without a psychotic disorder, schizophrenia-spectrum disorder, or current major mood disorder, nor history of a first-degree relative with a psychotic disorder.
Key exclusion criteria (2 listed)
- evidence of IQ < 70 or developmental disability
- history of significant neurological disease, serious head injury, or significant current substance use (moderate or severe substance use disorder in the last 3 months, positive urine toxicology screen on the day of assessment, or sedatives/anxiolytics taken within 12 hours of the assessment)
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Fast FriendsParticipants will interact with another person while both have their EEG recorded. They will ask and answer 12 questions with the other person that become increasingly personal in nature, e.g., "When did you last cry in front of another person? By yourself?" | Behavioural | Fast Friends |
| Small TalkParticipants will interact with another person while both have their EEG recorded. They will ask and answer 12 impersonal questions with the other person , e.g., "Do you prefer digital watches and clocks or the kind with hands? Why?" | Behavioural | Small Talk |
Primary outcome
Interbrain synchrony
Time frame: Interbrain synchrony will be measured immediately before and immediately following the procedure.
Circular correlations for 8-10Hz activity across electrodes and dyads
2 secondary outcomes
Social Network Analysis
Time frame: Measured at the start of the study only
Behavioral measures of synchrony
Time frame: Investigators will measure these during each of the two maniuplations (small talk and fast friends).
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 11 Aug 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Yes. EEG measures of interbrain synchrony, clinicial symptom ratings, social connectedness measures
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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.
Eric Reavis, Phd principal investigator
University of California, Los Angeles
Jonathan K Wynn, PhD principal investigator
University of California, Los Angeles
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Fast Friends and Small Talk in people with Schizophrenia Disorder, run by University of California, Los Angeles at 1 site in United States.
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 3 inclusion and 2 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: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 11 Aug 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 United States. 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?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Eric Reavis, PhD (310-206-8557, ereavis@ucla.edu), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Interbrain synchrony (time frame: Interbrain synchrony will be measured immediately before and immediately following the procedure.). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
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 11 Aug 2026.