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RECRUITING
NCT07003529
NA

Role of Inferior Colliculi in Auditory Hallucinations

Sponsor: Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nīmes

View on ClinicalTrials.gov

Summary

The neural basis of auditory hallucinations (AH) in patients with schizophrenia is poorly characterized. Functional imaging studies investigate either the "state" dimension (i.e., the measurement of changes in brain area activation at the precise moment of AH onset) or the "trait" dimension (i.e., the neural correlates of the propensity to hallucinate). A corollary of AH (particularly acoustic-verbal) is the activation of brain regions involved in the auditory perception of speech (auditory cortex). One theory is that patients with schizophrenia with AH may have a deficit in processing their internal speech (i.e., external attribution to internal verbal content). However, there is little clinical data on the specific role of the mesencephalic region of the inferior colliculi (IC) in the formation of these symptoms. Preliminary research has shown intense expression of dopamine D2 receptors, particularly on glutamatergic neurons in mouse ICs. Thus, ICs receive numerous inhibitory dopaminergic inputs, likely involved in signal optimization and modulation. The study authors hypothesize that AHs are the result of a defect in signal inhibition by the IC, which lose their function as perceptual filters.

Official title: Rôle Des Colliculi inférieurs Dans Les Hallucinations Auditives : étude Pilote Par Neuroimagerie

Key Details

Gender

All

Age Range

18 Years - 60 Years

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Enrollment

40

Start Date

2025-09-12

Completion Date

2026-09

Last Updated

2025-12-09

Healthy Volunteers

No

Interventions

OTHER

Unenhanced brain MRI

Unenhanced brain MRI in five sequences: 1) T1-weighted anatomical sequences 2) Resting-state functional sequences 3) Task-based functional sequence 4) Structural sequence using Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) 5) Routine magnetic resonance spectroscopy sequence

Locations (1)

CHU de Nîmes, Hôpital Universitaire Carémeau

Nîmes, France