Active clinical trials for "Schizophrenia"

This proposal aims to use well-validated methodologies such as dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA), frequently sampled oral glucose tolerance tests (fsOGTTs), and hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamps to characterize the metabolic effects of 12 weeks of aripiprazole treatment following chronic pretreatment with olanzapine, quetiapine, risperidone or ziprasidone. We hypothesize that switching to aripiprazole treatment will induce improvements in total body adiposity, inflammation (e.g., high sensitivity C-reactive protein [hsCRP]), glucose metabolism (e.g., insulin sensitivity) and lipid metabolism (e.g., fasting plasma triglyceride), in comparison to chronic pretreatment with olanzapine, risperidone and quetiapine.

The purpose of this study is to document the long-term safety and tolerability of risperidone, formulated as a long-acting injectable, in the treatment of patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder; in addition, to evaluate the long-term effectiveness of long-acting risperidone and its effect on quality of life

The primary features of schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder are characterized by positive (inability to think clearly and distinguish reality from fantasy) and negative symptoms (reduction or absence of normal behavior or emotions). Other symptoms include reduced ability to recall and learn information, difficulty in problem solving or maintaining productive employment. Asenapine is an investigational drug that may help to correct the above characteristics of schizophrenia by altering the inbalance of brain hormones such as dopamine and serotonin. This is a 12-month trial that will test the efficacy and safety of asenapine using an active comparator (olanzapine) in the treatment of patients with schizophrenia. Patients who complete the 12-month trial will have the option of continuing on drug until the treatment code for the 12-month trial is unblinded.

This study investigates the neuroprotective properties of low-dose lithium in young individuals at ultra-high risk of developping a first psychotic episode. Fourty individuals having some symptoms of an emerging psychotic disorders (without meeting the threshold for a full-blown mental illness) will be treated with a low dose of lithium (about a third of the dose that is usually used to treat acute mania). We will assess the progression of the conditions of these individuals on a montly bases for a year. We will do behavioural, cognitive and imaging assessments prior start of the treatment, after three months and one year. We hope to demonstrate that low dose lithium will stop or even reverse the progression of disease. We expect that behavioral, cognitive and in vivo brain imaging parameters in those individuals treated with low dose lithium improve, compared to the monitoring group.

A Six-Week, Randomized, Double-Blind, Parallel Group Extension Study To Evaluate The Long-Term Safety, Tolerability, And Efficacy Of Low And High Doses Of Bl-1020 Compared To Risperidone, In Schizophrenic Patients Previously Treated In Study Bl-1020 Iib For A Maximum Of Six Weeks With Bl-1020 (High Dose, Low Dose), Risperidone Or Placebo

Patients with schizophrenia have high rates of cigarette smoking and tobacco dependence, and great difficulties in quitting smoking. The development of novel and more effective treatments for tobacco dependence in this population is thus needed. This study will test the hypothesis that repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) may facilitate smoking cessation with the transdermal nicotine patch (TNP) in patients with schizophrenia motivated to quit smoking. A total of N=40 smokers with schizophrenia would be assigned to either active rTMS (N=20) or sham rTMS (N=20) as a treatment regimen of 5X/week treatments for four weeks. All subjects would receive TNP (21 mg/24h) and weekly group behavioral therapy for smoking cessation for a total of 10 weeks. The investigators predict that active rTMS will be well-tolerated and superior to sham rTMS for enhancing smoking cessation rates in smokers with schizophrenia.

This study will test whether a cognitive remediation program to treat people with schizophrenia can be successfully implemented in a network of research clinics.

Negative symptoms in schizophrenia present a challenge to the clinician owing to their poorer response to conventional treatment with antipsychotics. Negative symptoms in schizophrenia may be secondary to psychotic symptoms, depressive symptoms, drug-related side effects or lack of environmental stimulation. Alternately, they may represent core features of the illness, characterized as primary deficit symptoms. Previous studies have suggested that atypical antipsychotics may be beneficial in improving deficit symptoms of schizophrenia. This study aimed at characterizing the nature of improvement of negative symptoms in the early phase (12 weeks) of treatment with the atypical antipsychotic, risperidone. In order to account for factors contributing to improvement in secondary negative symptoms, ratings were carried out of change in positive symptoms, depressive symptoms and drug-related side effects. Further, add-on citalopram or placebo were administered in a double-blind design to study the effect of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) augmentation of risperidone on negative symptoms. The investigators hypothesized that the improvement in negative symptoms during the initial phase (12 weeks) of treatment with risperidone will be largely accounted for by improvement in secondary negative symptoms, rather than of the primary deficit symptoms.

This study seeks to examine the effects of D-cycloserine augmentation on cognitive remediation for patients diagnosed with schizophrenia. We will test the hypotheses that D-cycloserine will significantly improve cognitive performance, negative symptoms, and measures of functioning compared to placebo when combined with eight weeks of cognitive remediation. We expect that these effects will persist when assessed at six-month follow up.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the response to treatment and safety of paliperidone extended-release (mechanism to dissolve a drug over time in order to be released slower and steadier into the blood stream) in participants with schizophrenia (psychiatric disorder with symptoms of emotional instability, detachment from reality, often with delusions and hallucinations, and withdrawal into the self).