Cure My Disease

Don't miss your cure!

 Log in / Sign up

Brain training targets voices in schizophrenia

NCT ID NCT05299749

Symptom relief Sponsor: Boston VA Research Institute, Inc. Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now This study
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
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 Results may not be published yet.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This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.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 Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 26, 2026

Summary

This study tests whether real-time fMRI neurofeedback can help people with schizophrenia who still hear voices despite medication. Participants learn to control their own brain activity while inside an MRI scanner, aiming to reduce the brain signals linked to auditory hallucinations. The trial will enroll 104 people and compare real feedback to a sham version.

What this could mean

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

Active substance
real-time fMRI neurofeedback
What this could lead to
If it works, this could offer a new, non-drug way to reduce distressing voices for people with schizophrenia who don't respond to medication.
What could go wrong
This is an early-stage study with a small number of participants. The effect may be small or not last long, and not everyone may benefit.

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.

Phase

Not a phased trial

Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.

Participants

About 104 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Started

Mar 2022

Expected to finish

Jun 2026

An estimate. End dates often move.

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.

Ages

18 to 55 years

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

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: * patients diagnosed with SZ or schizoaffective disorder using DSM-5 criteria * auditory hallucinations not responsive to pharmacology as determined by chart review and a clinical interview of SCID. Exclusion Criteria: * neurologic illness * major head trauma * electroconvulsive therapy * alcohol or drug dependence * alcohol or drug abuse within the past five years * verbal IQ below 70

Get updates

Get notified about this study

Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Auditory hallucination are added.

Our safety recommendation!

By submitting, you agree to our Terms of use

Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Hallucinations schizoaffective disorder schizophrenia Schizophrenia, Treatment-Resistant treatment-refractory schizophrenia

As listed by the trial registrant

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

Auditory hallucination Schizophrenia Treatment resistant schizophrenia

How to take part

Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.

  1. The places running it

    1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.

  2. The official record

    ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.

    Open the record ↗

  3. A doctor treating you

    A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Boston VA Healthcare System, Brockton

    RECRUITING

    Brockton, Massachusetts, 02301, United States

More trials for these conditions

Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.