Recruiting

Inter-Brain Synchrony

Sponsor:

UCLA

Code:

NCT07177261

Conditions

Schizophrenia Disorder

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18 - 65

Healthy Volunteers: Accepted

Interventions

Fast Friends

Small Talk

Study Details

Brief 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, 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:

1. Investigate inter-brain synchrony as a neural mechanism of social connection in schizophrenia
2. 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.

Conditions

Schizophrenia Disorder

Study ID

NCT07177261

Start date

Nov 11, 2025

Status verified date

Aug, 2026

Completion date

Nov 30, 2027

Anticipated

Primary completion date

Aug 1, 2027

Anticipated

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18 - 65

Healthy Volunteers: Accepted

Inclusion Criteria:

  • 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.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • 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)

Study Design

Enrollment

100 participants

Anticipated

Allocation

Randomized

Intervention Model

Crossover

Primary purpose

Basic Science

Interventions and Outcome Measures

Arms

experimental: Fast Friends

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?"

active comparator: Small Talk

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?"

Interventions

Fast Friends

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 Talk

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?"

Primary outcome measure

  • Interbrain synchrony [ Time Frame: Interbrain synchrony will be measured immediately before and immediately following the procedure. ]

Central Contacts and Locations

Central contacts

Eric Reavis, PhD

310-206-8557ereavis@ucla.edu

Jonathan K Wynn, PhD

310-478-3711jkwynn@ucla.edu

Locations

University of California, Los Angeles

Recruiting

Los Angeles, California, United States, 90095

Contacts

Jonathan K Wynn, PhD

310-478-3711jkwynn@ucla.edu

More Information

Sponsor

University of California, Los Angeles

Last update posted

Aug 11, 2026

Last verified

Aug, 2026

Keywords

  • schizophrenia
  • EEG
  • interbrain synchrony
  • hyperscanning
  • social connections

Trial information was received from ClinicalTrials.gov and was last updated on 2026-09-27. This information was provided to ClinicalTrials.gov by University of California, Los Angeles on 2026-08-11. Recruitment status is synced daily from ClinicalTrials.gov and may not reflect the sponsor's current status. Confirm during your call.