Prepulse Inhibition (PPI) of Startle Reflex in Schizophrenia Patients Related to Type of Treatment and Illness Duration
Condition: Inhibition (Psychology); Schizophrenia; Medication Adherence
MeSH terms: Schizophrenia
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      PPI is an objective measure to assess pre-attentive processes that have already been tested
      before in the case of schizophrenia. The investigators aim to assess through this instrument
      two main characteristics, that the investigators assume are of relevance which are the
      duration of illness and the type of pharmaceutical treatment, patients receive.

      The investigators believe these two main characteristics are critical to the ability of the
      patients in improvement of their PPI response to startle reflex.
    

Detailed description: 
      It is common to relate changes of PPI to startle reflex to both negative and positive signs
      of schizophrenia. Results can both start to explain formations of delusions and
      hallucinations and the difficulty in processing information for surrounding. It was already
      tested and discussed in previous trials the relation between type of pharmaceutical treatment
      as affecting on PPI to startle reflex both causing changes, or improving previous results.

      In previous trials as opposed to our planned trial, not much attention was paid for the
      relation on the changes found to the type of treatment and the duration of the illness. Plus,
      most trails had different methods of assessing it than our method.

      The investigators assume that patients who are receiving typical antipsychotic treatment
      would have a reduced PPI response to startle reflex compared with those with atypical
      antipsychotic treatment and those with longer duration of illness would also have reduced PPI
      response to startle reflex in comparison to those with shorted duration of illness.

      The investigators aim to enroll patients already diagnosed with schizophrenia that would be
      sent by their psychiatrist to the trial. In addition the investigators would enroll control
      group, not diagnosed with any psychiatric condition.

      For both groups, the investigators would run PPI trials according to a unified protocol.

      In addition the investigators would run several questionnaires for the group of the patients.
      Among the details asked of the patient are the duration of the illness and the type of
      antipsychotic medications they are on and the dosage. Data will then be analyzed.
    

Intervention name(s): PPI monitoring device protocol; Questionnaires
Intervention type(s): Device; Other
Intervention description(s): The investigators would use a monitoring device that would assess startle reflex reaction measured by blinking or the eye. Monitoring would be done with electrodes of EMG device that would be located on orbicularis oculi muscle and will monitor response.; Group of patients diagnosed with schizophrenia would be interviewed using well validated questionnaires.
Questionnaires what would be used are:
GAF- Global assessment of functioning
PANSS- Positive and negative syndrome scale
SANS- Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms
The Calgary Depression Scale for schizophrenia
Demographic Questionnaire
Hamilton Anxiety scale
Allocation: Non-Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Double (Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)
Primary purpose: Basic Science