Active clinical trials for "Schizophrenia"

This is an observational study describing the real-life antipsychotic treatment during the hospitalisation of the patients due to acute psychotic episode. In this NIS subject's data will be collected at one visit at the moment of discharge from the hospital. The results of the study would help to characterise the discrepancy between current clinical practice and treatment guidelines, indicating that atypical antipsychotics are preferable and should be used in monotherapy during acute psychotic episodes in subjects with schizophrenia. Available evidence have revealed a frequent use of first-generation antipsychotics, polypharmacy, intramuscular route of administration and use of atypical antipsychotics in doses lower than recommended in registered summary of product characteristics.

This is a study of the genetic basis of brain dysfunction in people with schizophrenia.

The purpose of the study is to assess demographic, treatment, and outcome data in schizophrenia patients receiving treatment with long-acting injectable, tablet, or liquid formulations of first generation (conventional) or second generation (atypical) antipsychotic medications.

We will collect DNA from 500 rigorously diagnosed patients with schizophrenia to allow us in the future to examine phenotypic subtypes in relation to genetic variants. Phenotypes will include subgroups based on clinical symptoms, medication response, or other biological markers including neuroimaging or pharmacologic challenges.

Schizophrenia is a chronic and devastating major psychiatric disorder. Family, twin, and adoption studies indicated that schizophrenia has a significant genetic component. The mode of transmission is still not clear and a multilocus model was proposed. The location of susceptibility gene of schizophrenia is still under active search using molecular genetic methods. We propose to collect genomic DNA and lymphoblast cell lines of a total of 150 DSM-IV schizophrenic patients and their first degree relatives including parents (parent-offspring trios) and non-affected siblings in three years. Adequate statistical power of molecular genetic studies is a great concern. For this concern, we will examine the patients and their parents clinically by using the Diagnostic Interview for Genetic Studies (DIGS) for diagnostic assessment, and by using neuropsychological battery including sustain attention, executive function, verbal memory and general intelligence for neuropsychological evaluations. The project is feasible because (1) The PI and his research team have experience in successfully collecting co-affected sib-pair families of schizophrenia and in setting-up molecular genetic laboratory in the past decade. We are experienced and competent to execute this project. (2) The PI and his research team have established the instruments using to clarify the phenotypes including the DIGS, the neuropsychological battery these years. Major goals of this project are: (1) to cooperate with this important Taiwan Genotype Consortium proposed by the NHRI; (2) to detect major schizophrenia susceptibility genes related to the neuropsychological endophenotype; (3) to do further fine mapping on suggestive linkage markers to replicate previous linkage studies results using our previously-collected co-affected sib-pair family sample; and (4) to deposit the lymphoblast cell lines into NHRI Cell Bank serving as a national resource for basic research in Taiwan.

Brain cells communicate with each other by releasing chemicals called neurotransmitters. In order for brain cells to transfer information, one cell will release a neurotransmitter that will be recognized by a receptor located on surface of another cell. One such neurotransmitter is dopamine. Abnormal dopamine transmission has been seen in patients with substance abuse and different neuropsychiatric disorders including schizophrenia. A radioactive drug called IZBM (I-123 iodobenzamide) can also bind to certain dopamine receptors. IZBM can be seen by Single Photon Emission Tomography (SPECT). Therefore, by using IZBM and SPECT scans, researchers can find and "map" the location of dopamine receptors in the brain. Patients participating in this study must also have been selected for other genetic studies being conducted at the NIMH. Patients with schizophrenia will be selected from a NIMH research study titled, "Neurobiological Investigation of Patients with Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders and Their Siblings" (95-M-0150). Normal patient volunteers will be selected from another NIMH study titled, "Inpatient Evaluation of Neuropsychiatric Patients" (89-M-0160). All aspects of clinical care and genetic analysis of these patients will be covered in these studies, while information pertaining to IBZM SPECT scans will be covered in this study. This study will not directly benefit patients participating in it. However, information gathered may contribute to faster and more accurate diagnosis of schizophrenia and eventually better treatment for the disorder.

The purpose of this study is to gather normative data from healthy adults and to determine a sensitive and specific cut-off value for responders and non-responders to the Niacin Skin Flush Test in a sample of first episode psychosis patients.

Background: The Human Brain Collection Core (HBCC) collects brain and other tissues. They get these from deceased people who may or may not have had psychiatric disorders. The next of kin gives permission for researchers to get the tissues. Researchers want to collect medical details of people whose brains are donated. They also want to use the donated tissue to study brain chemistry and structure. This could lead to better treatments for mental illness. Objective: To create a collection of human brain tissue to learn about the causes and mechanisms of mental disorders. Eligibility: People willing to donate their deceased relative s brain tissue. The deceased person could not have had any of the following: Severe mental retardation Long-lasting seizure disorder Infections that affect the brain Decomposition Brain damage Being on a respirator for more than 12 hours Major sepsis Serious renal or hepatic disease Certain dementias and degenerative diseases Design: Medical Examiner s Offices will screen donors who have recently died. Some others will be screened by hospitals or funeral homes. Participants will be the next of kin. They will give consent for HBCC to obtain brain tissue from the deceased person. The tissue will be frozen for future research. Participants will have a 30-minute phone call. They will answer questions about the deceased person s medical and psychiatric conditions. They will answer questions about the person s use of medicines and drugs. Participants will be contacted by a social worker. They will be asked for permission to access the deceased person s medical records.

The aim of the study is to investigate temporal organization of future thinking in patients with schizophrenia. Patients and control participants will be asked to envision and briefly describe ten personal future events using a cue-words list. Then they will be asked to describe everything that came to their minds (i.e. to think aloud) while they attempted to determine when an event will likely occur. The investigators will compare the proportion of several predefined strategies mentioned by the two groups of participants to locate future events in time. The investigators predict that patients will envision less personal future events and will rely to a lesser extent on strategies to locate events in time, than control participants.

The purpose of this study is to screen and evaluate children with psychotic disorders to establish or confirm their diagnosis and to collect data about their condition. This study will also recruit individuals for various treatment studies. Childhood psychotic disorders are debilitating conditions in which children have auditory or visual hallucinations and disorganized thoughts. This study will examine psychotic disorders in children in an inpatient setting. Participants in this study will be admitted to the NIH Clinical Center for up to 9 weeks under one or more of the following conditions: current medication, no medication, or tapered medication. Participants will undergo blood, urine, metabolic, and intellectual functioning tests. An electrocardiogram (EKG) and electroencephalogram (EEG) will be performed. A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan of the brain will be taken and infrared oculography will be used to measure eye movements. Participants and their family members may also be asked to participate in a study of genetics in children with psychotic illnesses. Children meeting criteria for childhood onset schizophrenia may be offered participation in a medication comparison protocol.