Active clinical trials for "Psychotic Disorders"

To assess the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of intramuscular ziprasidone in the treatment of the acute exacerbation of non-organic psychosis of any etiology, including schizophrenia, acute mania, delusional disorder and others.

The purpose of the study is to find out how a small dose of insulin might affect memory, the ability to concentrate, and improve your daily functioning in patients with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorders. Insulin is not being used to treat diabetes in this study. The investigators propose a single dose, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial of intranasal insulin in 40 subjects with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder to examine insulin's effect on cognition. The specific aims include: Examine the effects of single doses of 40 IU intranasal insulin compared to placebo on cognitive functioning, including attention and memory. Examine whether single dose of intranasal insulin administration will raise serum insulin level and decrease plasma glucose level Insulin will be delivered through an air spray pump into your nose. The investigators will be comparing one dose of insulin (40 International Units) with placebo, an inactive liquid.

The purpose of this study is to see if differences exist in outcome in patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder who were switched from other antipsychotics to ziprasidone.

This is a study comparing the benefits of two types of individual psychotherapy (cognitive-behavioral therapy for psychosis and supportive therapy) in symptomatic Veteran outpatients diagnosed with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder. Treatment lasted approximately 6 months, with outcome data on symptoms, functioning, and distress levels collected at baseline, post-treatment, and 6 months post -treatment follow-up.

NMDA receptors are brain receptors that are stimulated by glutamate. Poorly functioning NMDA receptors are thought to be involved in the pathology of schizophrenia. This hypothesis is based on the observation that PCP, which blocks the NMDA receptor, produces symptoms and cognitive impairments similar to schizophrenia. Efforts to enhance the function of the NMDA receptor with glycine and D-cycloserine have met with limited success. An alternative approach would be to use the drug acamprosate. Acamprosate, FDA-approved for maintenance of sobriety after detoxification from alcohol, seems to act through modulation of the NMDA receptor. In the lab, acamprosate has been noted to act as an antagonist when the NMDA receptors are maximally stimulated but as an agonist when NMDA receptor stimulation is minimal. This "smart drug" action makes acamprosate appealing for use in schizophrenia. If acamprosate works as a smart drug in patients, then we would predict that it would enhance the function of NMDA receptors in schizophrenia and improve cognition and the symptoms of the illness. Additionally, acamprosate seems to modulate the NMDA receptor in novel ways distinct from glycine and D-cycloserine. We will also see if the response to acamprosate differs based on whether participants do or do not have a past history of alcohol use disorders.

This is an open-label pilot study of omega-3 fatty acids (Lovaza) for hypertriglyceridemia in subjects who have been on an atypical (second-generation) antipsychotic medication. The investigators hypotheses are that patients who receive Lovaza will experience a significant decrease in triglycerides from baseline. Secondary hypotheses include: Patients will experience a significant decrease in total cholesterol, and Lovaza will be well tolerated.

The investigators have developed an intervention called Behavioral Treatment of Smoking Cessation in SPMI (BTSCS), an innovative intervention that supplements pharmacotherapy and education with contingency management and a multifaceted behavioral group treatment program that lasts for three months (24 group meetings). BTSCS is designed to address the cognitive, motivational, and social support problems characteristic of people with SPMI. The investigators propose to conduct a randomized trial for persons with SPMI that compares (1) BTSCS: a 6-month manualized smoking cessation program adapted from an effective substance abuse treatment program for this population to (2) StSST: a standard manualized smoking cessation program which reflects current best practices.

The investigators' hypothesis is that oral L-carnosine treatment (as compared with placebo) will enhance cognitive abilities (specifically: measures of attention, executive function, working memory, visuospatial ability and language) in persons with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder. Secondarily, they hypothesize that there will be secondary improvements in positive, negative and mood symptoms with L-carnosine treatment. The investigators aim to test these hypotheses by conducting a randomized, placebo controlled, add-on treatment trial of L-carnosine (added to existing antipsychotic treatment) up to 84 recruited subjects with Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition, Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR) schizophrenia/schizoaffective disorder for a period of 16 weeks. Measures of cognition and psychopathology will be utilized for evaluating primary and secondary outcomes, along with safety assessments.

The study involves a six-month, double-blind protocol during which eighty patients, across three sites around the country, will be randomly assigned to receive clozapine or olanzapine. The specific aims of the study are to evaluate the relative effects of olanzapine and clozapine on clinical outcomes and cognition in patients diagnosed with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder who have demonstrated resistance to treatment in the past.

This study supplements patients' current medications with Pravastatin, a cholesterol-lowering medication, to try to improve residual symptoms of schizophrenia, and also to improve cognitive functioning.