Cognitive function and eye-movements in early-onset schizophrenia v1
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Cognitive functioning and eye-movements in early-onset schizophrenia
IRAS ID
255046
Contact name
Nora S Vyas
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Kingston University London
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Converging evidence suggests that schizophrenia is a neurodevelopmental disorder with complex genetic and environmental interactions contributing to the final clinical phenotype. Children and adolescents with schizophrenia provide a unique opportunity to understand the neurodevelopmental pathway to disease expression as the illness occurs closer to the developmental roots and is less affected by the environment. Although there is a plethora of literature on adult-onset schizophrenia, limited research has been conducted on individuals who develop schizophrenia before their 18th birthday, known as ‘early-onset schizophrenia’ (EOS), a disorder with similar clinical characteristics as those reported in adults, but more enduring clinical morbidity, cognitive deficits, and psychosocial disability (Vyas et al., 2007; Holmen et al., 2010; Oie et al., 2011). EOS patients show profound gray matter loss that progresses in from parieto-frontal wave finally merging into the adult pattern of prefrontal and temporal gray matter deficits by early twenties. Interestingly healthy siblings also show prefrontal and temporal gray matter deficits in early ages but these deficits normalize by 18 years of age suggesting an age specific endophenotype (trait) nature of cortical deficits and an interplay of protective factors.
The proposed research provides an important insight into EEG power spectral patterns and cognitive function profile in EOS, their healthy siblings and normal comparison subjects. The researchers will examine brain wave patterns (as measured by EEG), cognitive abilities, clinical profile and eye-tracking ability to establish a comprehensive understanding of psychological and physiological underpinnings in this enriched population. The proposed methods are novel in enabling the exploration of abnormal brain waves and cognitive ability in EOS.
REC name
London - Stanmore Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
20/LO/0126
Date of REC Opinion
1 Jul 2020
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion