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Scientists probe brain's reward system in mental illness

NCT ID NCT03068793

Knowledge-focused Sponsor: University of California, San Francisco Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed This study
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Sep 14, 2026 · Last updated Sep 15, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco are studying how the brain processes rewards in people with early-onset schizophrenia, major depressive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, or gambling disorder, compared with healthy volunteers. Participants complete reward-based tasks, such as a slot machine game, while undergoing EEG and MRI scans. The goal is to understand the brain activity patterns linked to these conditions, which may inform future diagnosis and treatment.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
Electroencephalography (EEG) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain scans combined with reward-based tasks
What this could lead to
If the study identifies distinct brain patterns linked to reward processing, it could help researchers develop better ways to diagnose or treat conditions like schizophrenia and depression.
What could go wrong
This is an observational study with no treatment, so it cannot directly improve symptoms. The findings may not apply broadly, and brain scan results can vary between individuals.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Participants

80 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

Oct 2013

Finished

Jun 2019

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Who is studied

Patients who have been diagnosed with schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, or schizophreniform disorder within the past 5 years and meet our research criteria of symptoms indicative of a diagnosis of schizophrenia within their lifetime are eligible for this study. Patients who have been diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and Gambling Disorder within the past 5 years and meet our research criteria of symptoms indicative of a diagnosis of one of these disorders within their lifetime are also eligible for this study. Healthy controls who have never met criteria for a psychiatric disorder and meet our research criteria will also be included in this study.

Ages

18 to 30 years

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Accepted

You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * The subject population will include 18 to 30 year old participants of any gender, race, and ethnicity. All subjects will be able to speak and understand English. Schizophrenia subjects: 1\. Patients must be diagnosed with DSM-IV schizophrenia, schizophreniform, or schizoaffective disorder based on a SCID-P interview. Depression subjects: 1\. Patients must be diagnosed with DSM-V Major Depressive Disorder based on a SCID-P interview. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder subjects: 1\. Patients must be diagnosed with DSM-V Post Traumatic Stress Disorder based on a SCID-P interview. Gambling Disorder subjects: 1\. Patients must be diagnosed with DSM-V Gambling Disorder based on a SCID-P interview. Comparison subjects: 1\. Control participants must not have past or present Axis I diagnosis as determined by the SCID-NP. Exclusion Criteria: * All subjects: 1. A hearing deficit greater than 40dB in both ears detected during the hearing test 2. Substance dependence, as per clinical judgment, in the past 1 year (except caffeine and nicotine) 3. A history of significant medical/neurological disease such as cardiac, thyroid, renal, hepatic or neurological 4. History of head injury with loss of consciousness greater than 15 minutes 5. Any other condition or medication, which in the opinion of the investigator would preclude participation in the study. 6. Non-English speaking. Comparison subjects: 1\. Any first-degree relative with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

early-onset schizophrenia major depressive disorder pathological gambling post-traumatic stress disorder schizoaffective disorder schizophrenia schizophreniform disorder

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Early-onset schizophrenia

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • San Francisco VA Medical Center

    San Francisco, California, 94121, United States

More trials for these conditions

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