Sleep Dependent Learning in Schizophrenia and Psychosis Risk Syndrome

The purpose of the study is to examine whether sleep-dependent learning is impaired in schizophrenia on perceptual, motor, procedural, declarative, and associative learning tasks; determine whether the duration of slow-wave sleep, time in stage 2 sleep, or density of sleep spindles predicts sleep-dependent learning deficits in schizophrenia

Inclusion criteria: 

1. Persons meeting DSM-IV or -5 criteria of schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder
OR persons meeting criteria for the psychosis-risk syndrome as determined by the Structured Interview for Prodromal Syndromes
OR persons free of major DSM Axis I and Axis II diagnoses, including schizotypy
2. Age 18 – 55 years old
3. Clinical stability as defined by no changes in psychiatric medications in the last 30 days, no planned changes in psychiatric medications in the next 4 months, no psychiatric hospitalizations in the last 2 months and stable housing for the last 1 month
Exclusion criteria:
1. Binocular vision worse than 20/50, or significantly different vision in the two eyes, or vision impairment that compromises the ability to participate in cognitive testing and computer tasks
2. Hearing impairment that compromises the ability to participate in cognitive testing and computer tasks
3. Intellectual disability or autism
4. Medical illnesses that are determined by the PI to compromise participant safety or the study’s scientific aims, including: seizure disorders, head trauma with loss of consciousness, obstructive sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome or periodic limb movement disorder, and severe respiratory insufficiency
5. Active substance misuse disorder, excluding nicotine and abuse and dependence, with remission of at least 6 months eligible
6. Concurrent enrollment in another research study which would compromise research aims of either study
7. Non-English speaking or reading
8. Inability to comply with research procedures
9. Evidence of illicit substance use or alcohol in the day or or 3 days preceding the testing or training