Active clinical trials for "Schizophrenia"

The aim of this study is to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of a neuromodulation technique, tDCS (transcranial direct current stimulation) used as a complementary treatment on negative symptoms. 60 patients will be randomized into two groups (active tDCS vs sham tDCS) and will be assessed after the intervention, 1 and 3 months after.Secondary outcomes shall include neuropsychological assessment, general symptomatology, extrapyramidal symptoms and social functioning.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of brexpiprazole, via functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), on the right ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (VLPFC) activated by impulsive behavior.

This is a double-blind placebo-controlled trial to evaluate the effects of the combination of a cognition enhancing drug, i.e carnosine, with cognitive training in patients with schizophrenia. All participants will receive the same cognitive training sessions and will be randomised to either carnosine or placebo for the duration of the combined treatment period (2 weeks). Before combined training and carnosine/placebo, there is a two-week carnosine/placebo only phase to examine the effects of carnosine alone on functioning without training.

In this double blind randomized clinical trial the investigators are going to exam influence of adjuvant Aspirin therapy on soft neurological signs (Heidelberg scale), positive and negative symptoms (PANSS), cytokine profile and inflammatory factors, as well as on cognition (MoCA) in young psychotic patients.

To test the feasibility of a clinical trial implementing I-CAT, a novel therapeutic intervention combining strategies to improve stress reactivity and increase meaningful coping, as well as a range of possible proximal (e.g. autonomic, endocrine, immune indices of stress reactivity, symptom severity) and distal measures (function, relapse, quality of life) for 40 people with first episode psychosis in the context of a small randomized controlled trial.

This is a study to evaluate the efficacy of rTMS for relief of obsessive-compulsive symptoms in patients with schizophrenia.

In this study we will definitively test the decision support system in a randomized controlled trial (RCT) among smokers with severe mental illness (SMI) psychotic disorders. The Specific Aims of the study are: To determine whether use of the web-based decision support system leads to higher rates of initiation of smoking cessation treatment than use of a computerized educational pamphlet. We will also assess effectiveness on secondary outcomes, including smoking behavior, urges and outcome expectancies; level of dependence; intentions to quit and to use cessation treatment; and abstinence. To assess whether cognitive ability moderates initiation of smoking cessation treatment. Since cognitive impairment impedes use of standard web-based interventions by this group, and cognitive impairments likely supersede other potential moderators (education and socioeconomic status), this aim will be key to determining the success of our intervention and will guide further revisions if they are needed. To explore the effects of the decision support system and baseline cognitive ability on abstinence over 6 months We will examine the impact of the DSS on 7-day point prevalence tobacco abstinence at 6 months, and cumulative days of tobacco abstinence over 6 months. We will determine whether baseline cognition (scale scores) is associated with 7-day point prevalence tobacco abstinence at 6 months, and cumulative days of tobacco abstinence over 6 months.

Schizophrenia is a chronic psychiatric illness with periods of remission and relapse. Patients vary in the frequency and severity of relapse, time until relapse and time in remission. Discontinuation of antipsychotic medication is by far the most important reason for relapse. A possible method to optimize medication adherence is to treat patients with long-term, depot medication rather than oral medication. However, despite its apparent "common sense" this approach has neither been universally accepted by practicing psychiatrists nor unequivocally demonstrated in clinical trials. Therefore, in this study we aim to investigate possible advantages of depot medication over oral antipsychotics in an independently designed and conducted, randomized, pragmatic trial.

Schizophrenia is a devastating and complex illness, with multiple symptom and behavioral manifestations. Antipsychotic medications are the mainstay of treatment; however, many patients only partially respond to treatment. Development of new treatment has not progressed rapidly, in part, because the underlying etiopathophysiology of the illness is not well understood. To date, all pharmacological treatments approved for use in schizophrenia involve primary modulation of the dopamine system. Many agents without dopamine action have failed to demonstrate efficacy. There is growing evidence that schizophrenia may be, in part, due to an inflammatory process and pharmacological treatment approaches that decrease inflammation have shown promise. Thus, treatments that may have anti-inflammatory properties (e.g., TNF-alpha inhibition), but also possess dopamine modulation may prove to be beneficial. This novel medication, l-tetrahydropalmatine (l-THP), has robust anti-inflammatory properties, particularly TNF-alpha and ICAM inhibition; has antiprotozoal activity; and possesses an antipsychotic-like pharmacological profile of D1, D2 and D3 receptor antagonism. The high affinity of l-THP for D1 versus D2 receptors distinguishes it from first generation antipsychotics and its D1 to D2 ratio resembles that of the superior antipsychotic, clozapine. Also, an almost identical compound, l-stepholindine (l-SPD), demonstrates robust antipsychotic activity in humans (both positive and negative symptoms) and is currently used clinically in China. l-THP has been used for over 40 years clinically in China, has a good safety profile to date, and represents a novel and exciting mechanism for schizophrenia treatment. Initial safety data from our phase I study of l-THP (20 healthy controls) shows excellent tolerability and lack of any substantial side effects. L-THP has been tested in outpatient drug abuse trials for 4 weeks with good safety data, (Hu et al 2006, Yang et al 2003). Yang et al (2003) randomized this medication in over 120 participants for 4 weeks with 4 week observation without any notable side effects. We will test this compound (30 mg BID) as an adjunct treatment in a randomized, double-blind, 4-week trial, in which we will assess treatment efficacy, changes in peripheral cytokine concentrations, and, secondarily, antiprotozoal effects, (antibody titers to Toxoplasma gondii), an infection that is known to occur at higher rates in schizophrenia than healthy controls and may be related in part to the illness.

This double-blind, randomized study will evaluate the efficacy, safety and tolerability of ALKS 3831 in subjects with schizophrenia and alcohol use disorder (AUD).