Sleep, Cognition, and Perception in the Psychosis Spectrum

Project in brief: The complex interplay between sleep, cognitive and perceptual processes can become unbalanced, particularly during adolescence, a highly dynamic phase of brain development. In this longitudinal study, we investigate psychological aspects and electrophysiological underpinnings of sleep across the psychosis spectrum in children, adolescents, and young adults. Using a multimodal, home-based approach, we aim to characterize how sleep oscillations, arousal dynamics, and sleep stability differ between healthy individuals, those at-risk for psychosis, and individuals with a schizophrenia-spectrum diagnosis. This project seeks to elucidate the interplay between changes in sleep and changes in cognitive and perceptual processes during wakefulness and identify neurophysiological markers of vulnerability and disease progression in the psychosis spectrum.

Project description: This longitudinal study examines sleep as a potential window into the neurobiological mechanisms underlying psychosis-spectrum disorders during a critical developmental period. Participants aged 12-21 years are assessed at three time points spaced six months apart, enabling the investigation of within-individual changes over time. The cohort includes healthy controls, individuals at clinical high risk for psychosis, and patients with a schizophrenia-spectrum diagnosis. The project employs a home-based, multimodal data collection approach to capture sleep physiology and its behavioral and clinical correlates in a naturalistic setting. By focusing on sleep oscillations, including sleep spindles and their infraslow organization, as well as markers of arousal regulation and sleep depth, we aim to characterize alterations in the temporal and spatial structure of sleep.

Data collection is ongoing, and current analyses focus on linking electrophysiological sleep markers to cognitive function, symptom trajectories, and clinical outcomes.

Multimodal dataset includes:

• Electrophysiology: Longitudinal home sleep high-density EEG recordings (64 electrodes)
• Actigraphy: Continuous monitoring of sleep–wake patterns
• Neurocognitive testing
• Semi-structured clinical interviews
• Self-report measures

Project goal: Our goal is to integrate these multimodal data to better understand how alterations in sleep physiology relate to changes in clinical symptomatology, with a specific focus on cognitive and perceptual processes. These insights will inform innovative therapies, “around-the-clock” therapeutic interventions specifically tailored to youths. Furthermore, the longitudinal assessments will enable us to identify how trajectories of sleep oscillations relate to either resilience or the progression of psychopathology. 

Link to Website: https://ubiquitous-grain-3a5.notion.site/Schlaf-Dich-Wach-ea982eecff21491f80d48e989b651a95

Group Leader: Dr. med. Miriam Gerstenberg und Prof. Dr. Reto Huber
Project Leader: Dr. med. Miriam Gerstenberg
PhD Students: Mary Eleni Dimitriades

Institution:
Child Development Center
University Children's Hospital Zurich
University of Zurich, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

• UZH Candoc Grant
• Frutiger Foundation
• EMDO Foundation