Active clinical trials for "Mental Disorders"

In this study the investigators will examine psychiatric symptoms, central neurocognitive functions, parental stress and attachment styles, and biological factors that can give new knowledge about some of the mechanisms present in children referred to outpatient psychiatric clinics. A specific focus will be given to children suffering from severe irritability.

The NASCITA study (NAscere e creSCere in ITAlia) was created to improve the understanding of the health status of Italian children early on and how it is affected by social and health determinants. The study will evaluate physical, cognitive, and psychological development, and health status and health resource use during the first six years of life in a group of newborns, as well as potential associated factors. The association between the well-being of children and parental adherence to the recommendations for better child care and development will also be assessed. Information on the children will be collected by paediatricians mostly during routine visits. The findings will be used in the development of specific prevention measures and interventions to improve the health of children, in particular more vulnerable ones.

The investigators are proposing a project that will examine the effectiveness of brief motivational enhancement therapy in a population with concurrent psychotic disorders and substance use disorders. This study will represent an emerging line of inquiry, as best practice interventions with this concurrent disordered (CD) populations are yet to be established.

Objective: The primary objective of this trial is to investigate whether prednisolone improves symptom severity as compared to placebo when given in addition to antipsychotic medication to patients with early-stage psychotic disorder. Secondary objectives include improvement of cognitive functioning and positive, negative and general psychopathological symptoms as well as general functioning. Study design: Randomized placebo-controlled double-blind trial. Study population: 90 men and women, with an age of 18 years and older, diagnosed with schizophrenia spectrum disorder. The time interval between the onset of psychosis and study entry should not exceed five years and CRP level should be at least 3.9 mg/L. Intervention: Patients will be randomized 1:1 to either prednisolone or placebo daily for a period of 6 weeks. Identical tablets will be administered. Prednisolone will be initiated at 40 mg for three days, after which it will be phased out within 6 weeks after start, following current treatment guidelines. Main study parameters/endpoints: Primary outcome is change in symptom severity, expressed as a change in total score on the Positive and Negative Symptom Scale (PANSS) from baseline to end of the 6-week treatment. Secondary outcomes are a 6-month follow-up assessment of PANSS, cognitive functioning (measured through a repeatable neurocognitive battery, change in GAF scores and the measurement of various immunological biomarkers. In post-hoc analyses, attempts will be made to identify baseline blood markers with predictive properties regarding improvement in the anti-inflammatory drug treatment arm. Expected benefits for consumers and care givers: A decrease in symptom severity is expected, as low grade brain inflammation may be associated with psychotic symptoms. The results may give raise to a new line of scientific research as well as treatment options for a disabling disorder.

This study will assess the efficacy of brief mindfulness practices on improving mental health in adults who are currently in treatment for mental health concerns. From online instructional videos, each participant will learn a thirty-second or three-minute mindfulness practice that is to be performed at least three times daily over two weeks.

This study seeks to evaluate the long-term safety and effectiveness of nelotanserin for the treatment of visual hallucinations (VHs) and Rapid Eye Movement (REM) Sleep Behavior Disorder (RBD) in subjects with Lewy body dementia (LBD).

This study will test whether transcranial direct current stimulation (TDCS) can be used safely in children with schizophrenia and if it can improve memory and attention span or auditory hallucinations in these children, at least temporarily. TDCS has temporarily improved memory and attention span in healthy adults and a similar method called TMS has relieved auditory hallucinations in adults with schizophrenia. For the TDCS procedure, the child sits in a chair and two soft sponge electrodes are placed on the child s forehead and held in place with a soft wrapping. One sponge electrode is placed on an arm. The electrodes are attached to a stimulator with a wire. Children with schizophrenia who meet the following criteria may be eligible for this study: Are 10 yrs or older age. Are participating in NIH protocol 03-M-0035. Are on a stable medication regimen for at least 6 months. Have problems with memory and attention span or have auditory hallucinations. Participants are randomly assigned to receive either real or sham TDCS on an inpatient or outpatient basis in 20-minute sessions daily, except weekends, for 10 days. For real TDCS, patients receive stimulation to the front of the brain. For sham stimulation, the children have electrodes placed on the forehead, but no actual stimulation is delivered. In addition to TDCS, patients have the following procedures: Checks of blood pressure, pulse and breathing rate before, during and right after each stimulation and again 8 hours later. Electrocardiogram (EKG) and electroencephalogram (EEG) before starting stimulation and after completing the 10 days of TDCS. Interviews and examinations to check for side effects of TDCS. Pen-and-paper or computer tests of learning, attention and memory. At the end of the 10 sessions, children who were in the sham TDCS group are offered the same number of sessions of active TDCS. Follow-up telephone call 1 month after the end of stimulation to see how the child is doing. 1- to 2-day outpatient visit 6 months after the stimulation. This visit includes interviews with the parent and the child, rating of the child s psychiatric symptoms, and pen-and-paper or computer tests of thinking, attention and memory.

Many patients with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder have symptoms that persist, including hallucinations or delusions, despite adequate pharmacotherapy with antipsychotic drug. Glutamate is a major excitatory neurotransmitter in the brain that has been implicated in several brain diseases. NMDA antagonist drugs cause symptoms of psychosis in otherwise normal persons. It is postulated that reduced NMDA receptor mediated neurotransmission leads to an increase in synaptic glutamate. Excessive synaptic concentrations of glutamate can produce excitatory neurotoxicity. Agents which reduce excess glutamate activity are neuroprotective. This therapeutic strategy has been applied to schizophrenia through the use of compounds that reduce presynaptic release of glutamate or otherwise decrease excessive postsynaptic stimulation, including lamotrigine, memantine and a m-GLU-R2 agonist (LY354740) with the hypothesized result of a reduction in psychotic symptoms. Recently it was shown that a commonly available antibiotic (ceftriaxone) has the unique neuroprotective function of decreasing the amount of extracellular glutamate in nervous system tissue by increasing the number of glutamate transporter proteins. Our clinical experience with patients who have refractory psychosis and past Lyme disease indicates that in some patients psychosis may improve with IV ceftriaxone therapy. Whether this improvement was due to its antimicrobial or glutamate effect or a placebo effect is uncertain. In a placebo-controlled design, this study investigates the ability of ceftriaxone to decrease psychotic symptoms in patients with refractory psychotic disorders. In addition, the study will examine glutamatergic functional activity before and after treatment using brain imaging with magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

The purpose of the study is to evaluate the group-based intervention "Starting the Conversation" as a webinar in Germany. Feasibility and efficacy of the program will be tested in a pilot randomized-controlled trial (RCT).

The confusional syndrome is defined by the acute or subacute onset of a deficit syndrome (temporo-spatial disorientation, memory and concentration disorders, abnormal behavior, impairment of intellectual efficiency, fluctuation of disorders with an increase in the evening) that may be associated with a productive syndrome (visual or auditory hallucinations, delusional elements) (French College of Neurology). It is a frequent, serious and costly problem in hospitalized patients and in emergency rooms. Its prevalence is between 10 and 31% of cases in emergency rooms and concerns up to one out of two elderly patients during a hospitalization. The potential morbidity and mortality of the confusional syndrome is due in part to the difficulty of identifying and treating rapidly the triggering and aggravating factors that are often interrelated in the elderly. Most often, these are drug effects, metabolic disorders, infections, consequences of prolonged immobilization or physical restraint. The lack of rapid treatment of these causes increases the risk of medium and long-term cognitive problems. Because of the aging population, this is an increasingly expensive problem. In 2012, the World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe study conducted in 18 European countries combined estimated its cost at $182 billion per year. The management of confusional syndrome in the elderly is now a major public health issue. It is a targeted indicator of the safety and quality of care for the elderly.