The self, neuroscience and psychosis study: Testing a neurophenomenological model of the onset of psychosis
Marija Krcmar, Cassandra Wannan, Suzie Lavoie, Kelly Allott, Christopher G. Davey, Hok Pan Yuen, Thomas J Whitford, Melanie Formica, Sarah Youn, Jashmina Shetty, Rebecca Beedham, Victoria Rayner, Graham K. Murray, Andrea Polari, Łukasz Gawęda, Danny Koren, Louis Sass, Josef Parnas, Andreas Rosén Rasmussen, Patrick D. Mcgorry, Jessica A Hartmann, Barnaby Nelson
Early Intervention in Psychiatry July 2, 2023 DOI: 10.1111/eip.13448 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Longitudinal observational study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 550 |
| Population | Ultra-high risk individuals, clinical controls with no attenuated psychotic symptoms, and healthy controls |
| Duration | 24-month follow-up with assessments every 6 months |
| Keywords | Neurocognitive Psychosis Prodrome Observational study Schizophrenia object-oriented programming Clinical psychology Persistence discontinuity Population Longitudinal study Cognition |
| Citations | 6 |
| Key findings | The protocol describes a study that will test whether neurophenomenological disturbances associated with basic self-disturbance predict persistence or intensification of UHR symptomatology over a 2-year follow-up period. |
Abstract
Aim: Basic self disturbance is a putative core vulnerability marker of schizophrenia spectrum disorders. The primary aims of the Self, Neuroscience and Psychosis (SNAP) study are to: (1) empirically test a previously described neurophenomenological self-disturbance model of psychosis by examining the relationship between specific clinical, neurocognitive, and neurophysiological variables in UHR patients, and (2) develop a prediction model using these neurophenomenological disturbances for persistence or deterioration of UHR symptoms at 12-month follow-up.
Methods: SNAP is a longitudinal observational study. Participants include 400 UHR individuals, 100 clinical controls with no attenuated psychotic symptoms, and 50 healthy controls. All participants complete baseline clinical and neurocognitive assessments and electroencephalography. The UHR sample are followed up for a total of 24 months, with clinical assessment completed every 6 months.
Results: This paper presents the protocol of the SNAP study, including background rationale, aims and hypotheses, design, and assessment procedures.
Conclusions: The SNAP study will test whether neurophenomenological disturbances associated with basic self-disturbance predict persistence or intensification of UHR symptomatology over a 2-year follow up period, and how specific these disturbances are to a clinical population with attenuated psychotic symptoms. This may ultimately inform clinical care and pathoaetiological models of psychosis.
Citations in the library
Cited by 4
- Phenomenology as a resource for translational research in mental health: methodological trends, challenges and new directions. Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences January 16, 2023
- The neurophenomenology of basic self-disturbance in early psychosis: Association with clinical outcome in an ultra-high risk sample. Australasian Psychiatry August 1, 2025
- Integrating dynamical systems theory and phenomenology to enhance early identification and treatment of psychotic disorders. The Lancet Psychiatry March 1, 2026
- Psychosis Risk: Time to Look Empirically at a First-step Economical-pragmatic Way to Examine Anomalous Self-experience. Exploring the SQuEASE-11. Schizophrenia Bulletin July 1, 2025
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and 17 more in the library