Video game training may boost brain speed in schizophrenia
NCT ID NCT06641297
First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tests whether learning to play a music video game like Guitar Hero can strengthen the brain's white matter in people with schizophrenia. White matter helps different brain regions communicate quickly, and it is often impaired in schizophrenia, leading to slower thinking. Researchers will use brain scans to measure changes in brain structure and chemistry before and after training. The goal is to understand if the brain can rewire itself with practice, potentially pointing to new ways to improve cognitive function.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Music video game (Guitar Hero)
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could point toward a new way to improve thinking speed and brain health in schizophrenia through simple, enjoyable training.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage study focused on understanding brain changes, not a treatment. It may not lead to any direct benefit for participants or translate into a real-world therapy.
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
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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
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About 36 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Jan 2025
- Expected to finish
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Dec 2026
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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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
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15 to 45 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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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 Hide 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: * Diagnosis of schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, schizophreniform disorder, or psychosis NOS * age 15-45 * able to provide informed consent Exclusion Criteria: * contraindications to MRI (metal implants, claustrophobia) * medical condition that limits use of hands (ie, arthritis) * Active or recent (within 6 months) substance use disorder other than nicotine
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
2 sites. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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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
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Maryland Psychiatric Research Center
RECRUITINGCatonsville, Maryland, 21228, United States
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University of Maryland Baltimore - Maryland Psychiatric Research Center
NOT_YET_RECRUITINGCatonsville, Maryland, 21228, United States
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- Can talk therapy and social coaching ease early psychosis?
- Mood-Boosting activities put to the test in schizophrenia
- Brain training may reshape brain chemistry in schizophrenia
- Could a single daily dose of clozapine work just as well?
- A gentle brain zap might boost medication adherence in schizophrenia
- Can sound and light waves calm the mind in schizophrenia?