Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) of Neuropsychiatric Patients and Healthy Volunteers

NCT00004571 | Completed

• 2 other identifiers: 00008500-M-0085
• Study Type: observational
• Target: 3,273
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The purpose of this study is to use brain imaging technology to compare differences in brain structure, chemistry, and functioning in individuals with brain and mental disorders compared to healthy volunteers. Schizophrenia is a brain disorder that results from subtle changes and abnormalities in neurons. These deficits likely occur in localized regions of the brain and may result in widespread, devastating consequences. The neuronal abnormalities are inherited through a complex combination of genetic and environmental factors. Brain imaging technologies can be used to better characterize brain changes in individuals with schizophrenia. This study will use magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans to identify predictable, quantifiable abnormalities in neurophysiology, neurochemistry and neuroanatomy that characterize schizophrenia and other neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders.

Conditions

Normal Physiology; Schizophrenia

Keywords

fMRI; MEG; Cognition; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Schizophrenia; Natural History

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (5)

• regional MRSI measures

  GABA and glutamate measurements in schizophrenia and healthy controls.

  spectroscopy

• magnetic field potentials

  Group differences in MEG signal for patients with schizophrenia and healthy subjects.

  MEG

• fMRI BOLD responses

  Group differences between patients with schizophrenia and healthy subjects, also genotyping used to characterize subjects as well.

  MRI study completion

• DTI anisotropy measures

  Compare fractional anisotropy and other measures of white matter connectivity for schizophrenic patients and controls.

  DTI

• brain volumetric measures

  VBM and cortical parcellation are used in schizophrenia and healthy controls.

  VBM

Secondary Outcomes (1)

• neuropsychological task performance data

  NPT

Study Arms (3)

Healthy volunteers

Healthy subjects from the community

Schizophrenia

Patients with schizophrenia and psychosis

Williams Syndrome

Individuals with copy number variation in the Williams Syndrome Region

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 120 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)
• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Patients with schizophrenia and healthy subjects from the community.

You may qualify if:

• CONTROLS:
• No psychiatric or severe chronic medical illness at the time of the study, and by history. This includes the absence of substance abuse histories, learning disabilities and all DSM IV disorders. The investigators will evaluate medical histories and medical conditions that are judged not to interfere with the study may be allowed.
• No use of psychotropic substances in the last 3 months.
• There is no upper age limit. The lower age limit is 18 years.
• Controls will all have the capacity to consent.
• PATIENTS:
• Schizophrenia, any subtype or schizo-affective disorder according to DSM IV .
• Bipolar Disorder with Psychotic Features according to DSM IV.
• Menstrually-Related Mood Disorder.
• Mild to Moderate Parkinson's Disease (Hoehn and Yahr Stage 1-3).
• Williams Syndrome (partial or full) with IQ in the normal range.
• Patients with Multiple Sclerosis.

You may not qualify if:

• CONTROLS AND PATIENTS:
• Impaired hearing.
• Pregnancy.
• Head trauma with loss of consciousness in the last year, or any evidence of functional impairment due to and persisting after head trauma.
• Patients or healthy volunteers with a known risk from exposure to high magnetic fields (e.g. patients with pace makers) and those who have metallic implants (e.g. braces) in the head region (likely to create artifact on the MRI scans) will be excluded from participating in the fMRI studies.
• History of any (excepting nicotine-related) DSM5-defined moderate to severe substance use disorder (or DSM-IV-defined substance dependence).
• Cumulative lifetime history of any (excepting nicotine-related) DSM5-defined mild substance use disorder (or any DSM-IV-defined substance abuse), either in excess of 5 years total or not in remission for at least 6 months.
• NIMH employees and staff and their immediate family members will be excluded from the study per NIMH policy.
• Non-NIMH NIH employees and staff may participate and will be given the NIH Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for NIH Staff Who are Considering Participation in NIH Research.
• PATIENTS:
• Coexistence of another major mental illness at the time of the study. If the patients experienced other mental illnesses in the past (e.g. a learning disability or major depression), then this should be judged to be fully recovered.
• Major concurrent medical illness likely to interfere with the acquisition of the task.
• Concomitant medications which could interfere with performance on the task.
• Involuntary movements that interfere with positioning in the MRI scanner).

Sponsors & Collaborators

• National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH): lead

Study Sites (1)

National Institutes of Health Clinical Center

Bethesda, Maryland, 20892, United States

Location

Related Publications (8)

• Ianni AM, Eisenberg DP, Boorman ED, Constantino SM, Hegarty CE, Gregory MD, Masdeu JC, Kohn PD, Behrens TE, Berman KF. PET-measured human dopamine synthesis capacity and receptor availability predict trading rewards and time-costs during foraging. Nat Commun. 2023 Sep 30;14(1):6122. doi: 10.1038/s41467-023-41897-0.

  PMID: 37777515 DERIVED

• Kippenhan JS, Gregory MD, Nash T, Kohn P, Mervis CB, Eisenberg DP, Garvey MH, Roe K, Morris CA, Kolachana B, Pani AM, Sorcher L, Berman KF. Dorsal visual stream and LIMK1: hemideletion, haplotype, and enduring effects in children with Williams syndrome. J Neurodev Disord. 2023 Aug 26;15(1):29. doi: 10.1186/s11689-023-09493-x.

  PMID: 37633900 DERIVED

• Rubinstein DY, Eisenberg DP, Carver FW, Holroyd T, Apud JA, Coppola R, Berman KF. Spatiotemporal Alterations in Working Memory-Related Beta Band Neuromagnetic Activity of Patients With Schizophrenia On and Off Antipsychotic Medication: Investigation With MEG. Schizophr Bull. 2023 May 3;49(3):669-678. doi: 10.1093/schbul/sbac178.

  PMID: 36772948 DERIVED

• Marenco S, Meyer C, van der Veen JW, Zhang Y, Kelly R, Shen J, Weinberger DR, Dickinson D, Berman KF. Role of gamma-amino-butyric acid in the dorsal anterior cingulate in age-associated changes in cognition. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2018 Oct;43(11):2285-2291. doi: 10.1038/s41386-018-0134-5. Epub 2018 Jul 3.

  PMID: 30050047 DERIVED

• Jabbi M, Cropp B, Nash T, Kohn P, Kippenhan JS, Masdeu JC, Mattay R, Kolachana B, Berman KF. BDNF Val66Met polymorphism tunes frontolimbic circuitry during affective contextual learning. Neuroimage. 2017 Nov 15;162:373-383. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2017.08.080. Epub 2017 Sep 1.

  PMID: 28867340 DERIVED

• Wei SM, Baller EB, Kohn PD, Kippenhan JS, Kolachana B, Soldin SJ, Rubinow DR, Schmidt PJ, Berman KF. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor Val66Met genotype and ovarian steroids interactively modulate working memory-related hippocampal function in women: a multimodal neuroimaging study. Mol Psychiatry. 2018 Apr;23(4):1066-1075. doi: 10.1038/mp.2017.72. Epub 2017 Apr 18.

  PMID: 28416813 DERIVED

• Jabbi M, Chen Q, Turner N, Kohn P, White M, Kippenhan JS, Dickinson D, Kolachana B, Mattay V, Weinberger DR, Berman KF. Variation in the Williams syndrome GTF2I gene and anxiety proneness interactively affect prefrontal cortical response to aversive stimuli. Transl Psychiatry. 2015 Aug 18;5(8):e622. doi: 10.1038/tp.2015.98.

  PMID: 26285132 DERIVED

• Jabbi M, Kohn PD, Nash T, Ianni A, Coutlee C, Holroyd T, Carver FW, Chen Q, Cropp B, Kippenhan JS, Robinson SE, Coppola R, Berman KF. Convergent BOLD and Beta-Band Activity in Superior Temporal Sulcus and Frontolimbic Circuitry Underpins Human Emotion Cognition. Cereb Cortex. 2015 Jul;25(7):1878-88. doi: 10.1093/cercor/bht427. Epub 2014 Jan 23.

  PMID: 24464944 DERIVED

Related Links

• NIH Clinical Center Detailed Web Page

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Schizophrenia

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Schizophrenia Spectrum and Other Psychotic Disorders; Mental Disorders

Study Officials

• Karen F Berman, M.D.

  National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: observational
• Observational Model: CASE CONTROL
• Time Perspective: CROSS SECTIONAL
• Sponsor Type: NIH
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: February 15, 2000
• First Posted: February 16, 2000
• Study Start: February 17, 2000
• Last Updated: May 22, 2026

Record last verified: 2025-09-09

Locations

US (1)