Active clinical trials for "Mental Disorders"

There is growing evidence of high rates of substance use disorders among individuals with psychotic disorders especially in young people with predisposition for psychosis. There is some genetic evidence that carriers of the valine158 allele of the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene had increased risk to exhibit psychotic symptoms and to develop schizophrenia if they used cannabis by the age of 18. It was also shown that carriers of the COMT val/val genotype were most sensitive to THC-induced psychotic experiences but this was conditional on pre-existing susceptibility to psychosis. The investigators propose to use brain-imaging and molecular genetics to investigate whether genetic factors may contribute to the THC-induced dopamine release and possibly to cannabis- induced psychosis.

Oxytocin (OXT) is currently regarded as a crucial neuropeptide in the mediation of various human social behaviors, e.g. social affiliation, social recognition, and the modulation of anxiety, mood, and aggression. An impairment of social behavior, emotional regulation as well as increased stress reactions are characteristic of several psychiatric conditions, including schizophrenia, social anxiety and PTSD, in which there is also some evidence for OXT dysfunction. The startle reflex is a basic defensive reaction that can be modulated by emotional stimuli. The investigation of the startle reflex and of its modulation is a well-validated method to test stress reactions and emotional regulation. These processes are impaired in the same psychiatric diseases, in which OXT dysfunction was evidenced. Although previous animal studies showed that the dysfunction of brain OXT systems might be implicated in startle reflex and in its modulation, no study has been performed yet in human that investigated the influence of OXT administration on the startle response and on its affective modulation. A first aim of this study is to investigate the influence of OXT on stress reactivity and emotional modulation in healthy humans. A second aim is to develop a method for the investigation of anxiety disorders. Fifty male healthy participants will be tested using a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled cross-over design in two occasions; once with administration of 24 IU OXT, and once with placebo using nasal sprays while performing a computer-based experiment, in which emotional pictures and auditory startle probes are presented. We will measure the subject's subjective ratings of the pictures as well as the facial EMG activation, heart rate and electrodermal activation throughout the study. This project offers a unique opportunity to study the relationship between the OXT system and basic motivational and emotional behaviors. The investigation of these mechanisms is in turn greatly worthwhile, not only for understanding of the neurochemical and physiological processes involved in emotional regulation, but also for the comprehension of the neuroendocrine and neurophysiological mechanismsunderlying anxiety disorders. In the long term, it could open the possibilities of OXT as a psychobiological therapeutics of psychiatric disorders.

This is a 24-week, observational, prospective study to evaluate the effectiveness of improving cognitive function of aripiprazole in treating adolescents and young adults with psychotic disorder in Taiwan. Approximately 120 qualified patients who have clinical diagnosis of DSM-IV of psychotic symptom (e.g. schizophrenia or other psychotic disorders such as schizophreniform disorder, schizoaffective disorder, delusional disorder, shared psychotic disorder, bipolar disorder with psychotic feature or psychotic disorder not otherwise specified.) will be recruited to achieve at least 100 evaluable subjects. After signing the informed consent form, the demographics, medical history and concomitant medication will be recorded. Besides, physical examination, vital sign, BMI, DSM-IV multiaxial examination, CGI-S and menstrual history will be conducted. Laboratory tests and pregnancy test will be optionally conducted. After evaluating all variables obtained, the eligible patients will be enrolled into study. Patients who fulfill the inclusion / exclusion criteria will be performed the CPT, WCST, BPRS and WHOQOL. Afterwards, patients will be given their first medication at this visit (5 mg ~ 30 mg daily by subject). Besides, the switching period is maximum 8 weeks and is depended upon the clinical judgment of investigator. Efficacy will be evaluated by the change from baseline in Continuous Performance Test (CPT), Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), Clinical Global Impression Scale (CGI), Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) and The World Health Organization Quality of Life questionnaire (WHOQOL). Safety will be evaluated by the frequency of adverse events, abnormal laboratory results, physical examination, vital sign, BMI and menstrual history for female subgroup analysis.

This study assesses brain connectivity and function of individuals ages 13-25 at a prodromal or early stage of a psychotic disorder. Participation involves approximately 3 hours of MRI scanning and up to 6 hours of behavioral testing at Washington University School of Medicine's campus.

This study aims to evaluate, at long-term, the occurrence of liver disease and cardio-vascular risk, in a sample of patients diagnosed with first episode of non-affective psychosis.

Common mental disorders (CMD) such as Depression, contributes significantly to the global burden of disease. Fetal exposure to adverse intrauterine environment mediated by life course factors can enhance risk of non-communicable disease in later life. Maternal micronutrients such as Vitamin B12 and folate play an important role in early fetal development through their effect on one carbon metabolism. Vitamin B12 deficiency is common in Indian women; however guidelines recommend only iron, folic acid supplementation during pregnancy. This study aims to investigate effects of maternal B12, folate during pregnancy on mental health and neurocognitive outcomes in offspring during adulthood. The Pune Maternal Nutrition Study(PMNS) birth-cohort(n=762) was established in 1993 at the Diabetes Unit of KEM Hospital Pune with well characterized serial data and archived biological samples. The subjects of the cohort are now in age range of 20-22 years and this provides an opportunity to examine the proposed objectives. Key objectives: To examine the specific association between maternal vitaminB12, folate, homocysteine levels at 18 & 28 weeks of gestation and risk for CMD, neurocognitive outcomes. Examine the causality of this association by Mendelian randomisation using genetic determinants of vitamin B12 and homocysteine. Design and analysis: Consenting members of the birth cohort of PMNS (n=690) will be recruited after ethics approval. Following cross-sectional outcome measures will be measured Neurocognitive functions: using standardized neuropsychological battery Brain imaging for Structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Temperament-character dimensions (TCI):140 item short TCI-R. Structured clinical interview for CMD, Diet, physical activity, High-risk behaviors, Early life stress. Serum Brain Derived Neurotrophic factor (BDNF), Insulin like growth factor (IGF-1) from serum archived at 6,12 & 18 years. Longitudinal methods and multivariate regression analysis would be used to investigate the hypothesized associations. Path analysis will be used to generate pathways of evolution of the abnormalities. Causality of the associations will be assessed by Mendelian randomization analysis (triangulation and instrumental variable analysis) using maternal genetic determinants of vitamin B12 and homocysteine

High-frequency deep brain stimulation (DBS) is an effective treatment strategy for a variety of movement disorders including Parkinson's disease, dystonia and tremor1-5, as well as for other neurological and psychiatric disorders e.g. obsessive compulsive disorder, depression, cluster headache, Tourette syndrome, epilepsy and eating disorders6-11. It is currently applied in a continuous fashion, using parameters set by the treating clinician. This approach is non-physiological, as it applies a constant, unchanging therapy to a dysfunctional neuronal system that would normally fluctuate markedly on a moment-by moment basis, depending on external stressors, cognitive load, physical activity and the timing of medication administration. Fluctuations in physical symptoms reflect fluctuations in brain activity. Tracking and responding in real-time to these would allow personalised approaches to DBS through stimulating at appropriate intensities and only when necessary, thereby improving therapeutic efficacy, preserving battery life and potentially limiting side-effects12. Critical to the development of such adaptive/closed-loop DBS technologies is the identification of robust signals on which to base the delivery of variable high-frequency deep brain stimulation. Local field potentials (LFPs), which are recordable through standard DBS electrodes, represent synchronous neuronal discharges within the basal ganglia. Different LFP signatures have been identified in different disorders, as well as in different clinical states within individual disorders. For example, low frequency LFPs in the Alpha/Theta ranges (4-12Hz) are frequently encountered in patients with Dystonia13,14, while both beta (12-30Hz) gamma (60-90Hz) band frequencies may be seen in Parkinson's disease, when the patient is OFF and dyskinetic, respectively15,16. Equally, suppression of these abnormal basal ganglia signals through medication administration or high-frequency DBS correlates with clinical improvement. As such, they represent attractive electrophysiologic biomarkers on which to base adaptive DBS approaches. Until recently, neurophysiological assessments were purely a research tool, as they could only be recorded either intra-operatively or for a short period of time post-operatively using externalised DBS electrodes. However, advances in DBS technology now allow real-time LFP recordings to be simply and seamlessly obtained from fully implanted DBS systems e.g. Medtronic Percept PC. In this study, we will evaluate a cohort of patients with movement disorders and other disorders of basal ganglia circuitry who have implanted DBS systems. Recordings of LFPs and/or non-invasive data such as EEG, limb muscle activation and movement (surface EMG and motion tracking) under various conditions (e.g. voluntary movement, ON/OFF medications, ON/OFF stimulation) will allow us to evaluate their utility as markers of underlying disease phenotype and severity and to assess their potential for use as electrophysiological biomarkers in adaptive DBS approaches. These evaluations in patients with DBS systems with and without LFP-sensing capabilities will take place during a single or multi-day evaluation (depending on patient preference and researcher availability). This study will advance not only the understanding of subcortical physiology in various disorders, but will also provide information about how neurophysiological and behavioural biomarkers can be used to inform personalised, precision closed-loop DBS approaches.

Investigation on how robotically mediated sensorimotor stimulation induces and triggers presence hallucinations in patients with Parkinson disease

A prospective study of the clinical and socio-demographic characteristics of young people aged 12 to 25 consulting on ambulatory structures in the Seine Saint-Denis. This research project, intersectoral and inter-institutional, built in a territorial logic, is therefore intended to study longitudinally over a year the population of young consultants in the different units participating in it, to highlight their common profiles and differences. This will be the first clinical research work concerning adolescents and young adults using mental health services in the Seine Saint Denis Ouest.

CAPRI-Voc examines the differences in how speech and environmental sounds are processed in the infant brain as they grow from 9 to 12 months. The main aim of our research is to see whether serious mental illness or other factors influence this development in children. This means we are looking for new mums and their infants who have not experienced mental illness.