Active clinical trials for "Schizophrenia"

Background: Some people with schizophrenia have problems with their working memory and paying attention for extended periods. These difficulties cannot be treated with antipsychotic medications or with many standard therapies. The prevalence of cigarette smoking among individuals with schizophrenia is about three times higher than in the general population. Research has shown that nicotine, the addictive component found in cigarettes, can help improve attentional and working memory performance. Researchers are interested in learning more about whether there may be an overlap in the cognitive functions beneficially affected by nicotine and areas of dysfunction in individuals with schizophrenia. Objectives: To evaluate the potential of transdermal nicotine to alleviate cognitive deficits in schizophrenia, and to determine whether naturally maintained cigarette-smoking, in comparison, is an effective self-medication. To gather preliminary data on genetics that may account for individual and group differences in the performance effects of nicotine. Eligibility: - Current smokers (25 or more cigarettes per week for at least 1 year) between 18 and 55 years of age who are either healthy volunteers or have been diagnosed with schizophrenia/schizoaffective disorder. Design: The study will require five visits to the research center, with an initial screening visit, a training session, and three test sessions. Ideally, all visits will occur 1 week apart. Training session: Participants will receive training on the types of computerized cognitive and attentional behavior tests that will be given during the active portion of the study. Participants will also fill out questionnaires on nicotine use and other alcohol and drug use. Test sessions: Participants will be assigned to random groups and will complete tests that assess cognitive performance (a) while maintaining their usual smoking behavior, (b) after minimal deprivation (3.5 hours without smoking) while wearing a placebo patch, and (c) under the influence of a standard nicotine patch. The order of these sessions will be different for individual participants. Participants will provide blood samples throughout the research study for evaluation purposes.

People who have experienced mental illnesses like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or schizoaffective disorder often have a poor understanding of the causes of their illness, and that they are often very worried about how the illness affects their families. In particular, affected individuals worry that there is a high chance that any children that they have will become affected with the same illness. Often, because of this fear, affected individuals choose not to have children. Genetic counseling is a process where information about the causes of illnesses, and about chances for family members of individuals with these illnesses to become similarly affected is provided in a supportive environment by a specially trained healthcare professional. This study will investigate whether genetic counseling can reduce perceptions of risk and stigma, and increase perceived control and knowledge about the causes of the illness, amongst individuals who have a major mental illness.

Women with a close relative who has experienced mental illnesses like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or schizoaffective disorder often have a poor understanding of the causes of the illness, and are often very worried about the chance that any children that they have will become affected with the same illness. Often, because of this fear, these healthy women choose not to have children. Genetic counseling is a process where information about the causes of illnesses, and about chances for family members of individuals with these illnesses to become similarly affected is provided in a supportive environment by a specially trained healthcare professional. This study will investigate whether genetic counseling can reduce perceptions of risk and stigma, and increase perceived control and knowledge about the causes of the illness, amongst women who have a first degree relative with a major mental illness.

The purpose of the study is to evaluate the characteristics, clinical responses, and safety issues of patients receiving long-term treatment of Risperidone long-acting injectable. The goal is to evaluate patient outcomes based on pre-existing risk or disease factors and past medication use.

This is a single-arm, phase IV, open-label, prospective, non interventional study in approximately 600 patients that will be followed for 6 months in order to evaluate the safety and efficacy of quetiapine. Patients will be switched over a 4 to 7 day cross-titration period from their previous antipsychotic medication to quetiapine according to the approved SPC.

The purpose of this study is the use of magnetoencephalography or MEG (a machine that measures magnetic activity in your brain) and electroencephalography or EEG (a technique that measures electrical activity in your brain) to study how sounds are processed in individuals with schizophrenia after three months of taking the antipsychotic medication quetiapine.

Investigation of the impact of Zeldox on metabolic parametres in patients with bipolar disorder or with schizophrenia and impact of the treatment for the quality of life

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the changes in various aspects of auditory verbal hallucinations during 24-week antipsychotic treatment in naturalistic condition.

This study examines whether patients with schizophrenia can benefit from a problem-solving training intervention and whether a work-related social skills training intervention leads to improvements in the patient's performance at work.

This study will examine and compare how the brain controls the timing of movement in healthy volunteers and in people with schizophrenia. Previous experiments have shown that when people are asked to look at a clock and report the time they first decide to make a movement, they report times later than the first brain waves associated with movement appear. When they are asked to report the time they first initiate the movement, they report times before the muscles actually begin to move. The study may help determine how the sense of willing and initiating an action is altered in schizophrenic patients, and how people may feel more or less "in control" of their movements. Normal volunteers and patients with schizophrenia between 18 and 65 years of age may be eligible for this study. Control subjects must not have any neurological or psychological disorders, and schizophrenia patients must not have any other neurological disorders. All participants will have a medical history, physical examination, and a test to determine their level of attention. Schizophrenia patients will be interviewed about their symptoms and complete psychiatric rating scales. In addition, all participants will undergo the following procedures: Electric shock Participants look at a clock on a computer screen whose hands revolves around the clock fast. While they look at the clock, they are given small, non-painful electric shocks and are asked to say when they receive the shocks, according to the clock. The shocks are repeated 40 times. Arm movement Participants are asked to lift their arm up off a table repeatedly, at random times, while they look at the computer clock. This exercise is repeated a total of 80 times. Of these 80 times, participants are asked 10 times in a row to say the time they first had the desire to move their arm, and then 10 times in a row the time they first felt that they were moving their arm. Electroencephalography (EEG) and Electromyography (EMG) Participants undergo EEG and EMG during the electric shock and arm movement experiments to measure electrical activity of the brain (EEG) and of the muscles (EMG). For EEG, electrodes (small metal discs) are placed on the scalp with a cap, paste, or glue-like substance and the brain waves are recorded. For EMG, electrodes are taped to the skin over the muscle.