Active clinical trials for "Psychotic Disorders"

This study will assess the effectiveness of an experimental treatment intervention for adolescents and adults who have experienced their first episode of psychosis during the past two years. The DUP sub-study will collect pathways to care information that will be used to inform the development and pilot testing of strategies that aim to reduce DUP among individuals experiencing a first episode of psychosis.

The overall goal of the present study is to determine whether Omega-3 Fatty Acids potentially prevent onset of psychosis and improve clinical symptoms and functional outcome in youth and young adults at elevated clinical risk for schizophrenia and related disorders. The specific aims are: (1) To determine whether the rate of progression to psychosis is lower during six months of treatment with Omega-3 Fatty Acids compared to six months of treatment with placebo, (2) To determine whether Omega-3 Fatty Acids are more efficacious than placebo for prodromal symptoms, negative symptoms, and functioning, (3) To assess the safety and tolerability of Omega-3 Fatty Acids in this population, and (4) To conduct analyses of neuroimaging, neurocognitive, electrophysiological and other ancillary data to explore mechanistic explanations for the hypothesized benefits of Omega-3 Fatty Acids on clinical and functional outcomes (e.g., increases in white matter integrity and processing speed).

The purpose of this study is to establish pharmacodynamics (PD), pharmacokinetics (PK), and adverse event (AE) profile of OPC-34712 administered to schizophrenic/schizoaffective subjects. The goals of this trial are three-fold: To determine the effect of OPC-34712 on the individual QT interval (QTcI) corrected for placebo To determine the effect of moxifloxacin on QTcI To examine the concentration-effect relationship of OPC-34712 and moxifloxacin on QTcI

Obesity and physical inactivity have become serious problems for individuals with mental illness, resulting in increased rates of chronic disease, premature death, and substantial health care costs. Although in-person psychoeducational interventions help individuals with mental illness manage their weight, these interventions are often not used because they require frequent travel to treatment programs and substantial time from clinicians. This project addresses these barriers by developing and evaluating the effectiveness of an web-based computer system that is focused on diet and exercise education, and designed to help individuals with mental illness manage their weight.

In this trial, researchers aim to investigate if prolonged-release melatonin can facilitate the withdrawal of chronic benzodiazepine administration in patients with schizophrenia. Furthermore, researchers will investigate the association of benzodiazepine dose reduction with the following clinically important variables: sleep, psychophysiology, cognition, social function, and quality of life.

The investigators seek to examine the effect of add-on N-Acetyl-Cysteine (NAC) in the early phase of schizophrenia spectrum illness in collaboration with researchers Kim Do, PhD, and Philippe Conus, MD in Switzerland. Modifications of brain structure are thought to occur during the pre-illness phase and around the transition to psychosis. Therefore, studying new treatments that could target changes occurring during this period is of critical importance. Aims: Does add-on NAC treatment in early psychosis influence: positive and negative symptoms extrapyramidal side-effects of other medication plasma concentration of glutathione Mismatch Negativity, a physiological marker

Smokers with schizophrenia have more difficulties quitting smoking than smokers without a mental disorder. Varenicline (Champix) is a new stop smoking medication with a unique mechanism of action. It is a nicotine-like drug which is not addictive and not associated with the health risks of tobacco smoking. Varenicline (VAR) binds to sites in the brain called nicotine receptors that play an important role in nicotine dependence. People with schizophrenia have difficulties in concentrating and remembering. Scientists believe that people with schizophrenia use smoking to remedy their cognitive problems. We will test VAR to see if it improves cognitive problems in smokers with schizophrenia in comparison to non-mentally ill smokers to determine whether people with schizophrenia get direct benefit from this nicotine-like drug. It is hypothesized that VAR (in comparison to a placebo) will reduce aspects of cognitive impairment in smokers and nonsmokers with schizophrenia.

The purpose of the present study is to evaluate a neuroplasticity-oriented, computer-based cognitive remediation treatment program in patients with bipolar disorder and its effects on cognitive deficits and community functioning compared to an active, computer-based control.

Since side effects of antipsychotics, dopamine D2 receptor blockers, frequently occur in older patients with schizophrenia and the risk is dose dependent, clinical guidelines universally advocate the use of lower doses. However, there is no report to test this dosing guideline with measurements of D2 receptor blockade caused by antipsychotics. In this study, dopamine D2 receptor occupancy will be measured, using Positron Emission Tomography (PET), in 40 patients aged 50 and older with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders before and after a gradual 40 % dose reduction of antipsychotics that was safely achieved in the past study while setting a target dose still above the lower limit of the dose range recommended in clinical guidelines for older patients. Our goal is to relate changes in clinical outcome, including subjective and objective clinical ratings, to dopamine D2 receptor occupancy, and compare these results with the data for younger patients in the literature.

This study involves people who have schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder who are currently taking antipsychotic medications. Some antipsychotic medications may cause weight gain and may increase the risk of diabetes mellitus and heart disease.The purpose of this study is to find out what happens if another medication (ramelteon) is used along with your antipsychotic medication. We want to find out whether doing this will: Change the way your body breaks down fat and sugar. Affect your waist size, stomach fat and triglycerides (a type of fat in your blood). Improve how your body responds to insulin. Affect your quality of sleep. Reduce movement disturbances Ramelteon is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat people that have difficulty falling asleep. It is not approved for such things as affecting waist size or improving how the body breaks down fat and sugar. Its use in this study is investigational.