Active clinical trials for "Schizophrenia"

Objective: to evaluate the effectiveness of specialised and sustained intervention with or without parent groups during the initial phase of schizophrenia or related disorders on relapse prevention Methods: A three conditions randomized trial with a duration of five years Participants: 200 consecutively referred patients aged 15-28 years with a first psychotic episode of schizophrenia or related disorder Treatment-conditions: Specialized Treatment of early schizophrenia (ST), ST including Parent groups (ST+P) and Treatment As Usual (TAU). Outcome-measures: cumulative relapse rates and time to first relapse after first remission. Secondary outcome measure: social functioning. Statistical analysis: cumulative relapse rates using life-table methods. The effect of the three interventions on time to first relapse after remission will be compared using Cox regression analysing intention to treat (ITT) grouping.

Hyperprolactinemia is a frequent consequence of treatment with typical antipsychotic agents and atypical antipsychotics such as risperidone. Recent studies have suggested that aripiprazole, a partial dopamine agonist, reduces the prolactin response to antipsychotics. Thus, we conducted this study to evaluate the dose effects of adjunctive treatment with aripiprazole on hyperprolactinemia in stable schizophrenic patients maintained with risperidone.

Introduction: In spite of recent advances in schizophrenia treatment, 30% of patients still do not respond properly to antipsychotic therapy. These patients are considered treatment-resistant or refractory, and the best choice for them is clozapine. However, even supported by the literature as the best known antipsychotic in terms of efficacy and rates of response, a considerable number of patients will still not respond to this treatment, remaining symptomatic and dysfunctional. These patients are classified as super-refractory (clozapine-resistent). In these cases, augmenting strategies are necessary, and some have been in use: typical and atypical antipsychotics, mood stabilizers, antidepressants and electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). Some studies have favored ECT, but no definitive conclusion has been drawn. Objective: Test the electroconvulsive therapy efficacy and safety as augmenting strategy to clozapine-resistant patients, as compared to placebo (sham ECT). Methods: This is a pilot double blind, placebo controlled and randomized study to assess electroconvulsive therapy efficacy as augmenting strategy to clozapine in super-refractory schizophrenia. The ECT treatment will be delivered with either a MECTA SPECTRUM 5000Q or 4000Q device, and the procedure is under general anesthesia and monitorization, after informed consent. The Hospital will follow national protocols and regulations on ECT. Sham ECT consists in habitual patient preparation and sedation, without stimulation. Patients that fit inclusion criteria will have their clozapine blood levels dosed and undergo structured assessments at baseline, after 6 treatments and at the end of the cycle of 12 ECT sessions (thrice a week protocol). The assessments will be based on CGI (Clinical Global Impression) and PANSS (Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale) scales. All medication will be maintained, except lithium carbonate.

The purpose of the study is to investigate the effect of a 30 hour cognitive remediation program for young patients with early phase schizophrenia spectrum disorders on cognitive, clinical and functional outcome measures. The remediation program is integrated with whatever active rehabilitation the participant is currently attending (school, work, day program etc).

The study will assess the use of paliperidone palmitate compared with oral antipsychotic treatment in delaying time to a protocol-defined treatment failure over 12 months, in patients diagnosed with schizophrenia who were recently released from an inpatient psychiatric hospital.

The purpose of this study is to compare efficacy and safety of add-on treatment with a moderately high dose of D-serine, an NMDA-glycine site agonist, in young, recent onset schizophrenia patients who suffer from significant symptoms despite treatment with antipsychotics.

Presently no generally effective treatments for tardive dyskinesia (TD) are available. D-serine is a naturally occurring amino acid that acts in-vivo as positive allosteric modulator at the glycine site associated with the glutamatergic NMDA receptor. Previous studies have suggested that D-serine may improve motor symptoms, including dyskinesias, which are caused by treatment with presently used antipsychotics drugs. The hypothesis under investigation in the present study is that D-serine adjuvant treatment may improve TD in schizophrenia patients diagnosed with this disorder.

Background: - The CB1 receptor is a protein in the brain that is targeted by the active ingredients in cannabis (marijuana). Brain systems that react to cannabis may be involved in the causes and symptoms of schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder. For instance, research studies have shown that the number of CB1 receptors may be different in people with schizophrenia, and there may be differences in the receptors themselves. Researchers are interested in using positron emission tomography (PET) to study CB1 receptors in people with and without schizophrenia, using a chemical tracer that attaches specifically to CB1 receptors. Objectives: - To determine whether the CB1 receptor brain protein is different in people with and without schizophrenia. Eligibility: - Individuals between 18 and 55 years of age who either have been diagnosed with schizophrenia/schizoaffective disorder or are healthy volunteers. Design: Participants in the study must have previously enrolled in the National Institute of Mental Health protocol A Neurobiological Investigation of Patients with Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders and Their Siblings (95-M-0150). Participants will provide blood samples to test for the gene that contains information on the specific type of CB1 receptor each participant has. Participants will have a PET scan and/or a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan. The PET scan will last approximately 2 hours. Participants will receive an injection of a small amount of chemical tracer to improve the quality of the images taken during the scan. The MRI scan will last approximately 1 hour.

The goal of this research is hoping to combine traditional Chinese medicine medication and find out how to solve clozapine-induced hypersalivation, also reduce side-effect, medication compliance, improving life quality, improving social-function and reducing neopathy.

Primary Objective: To compare added metformin and/or added simvastatin versus no intervention in reducing or eliminating increased cardiovascular risk (as estimated by elevation in non-HDL cholesterol levels) during the treatment of schizophrenia with olanzapine. Secondary Objective(s): To compare added metformin and/or added simvastatin versus no intervention in reducing or eliminating increased cardiovascular risk (as estimated by elevation in triglyceride levels) during the treatment of schizophrenia with olanzapine. To compare added metformin and/or added simvastatin versus no intervention in reducing or eliminating increased cardiovascular risk (as estimated by C-reactive protein levels) during the treatment of schizophrenia with olanzapine