Active clinical trials for "Schizophrenia"

Evaluating the prevalence and characteristics of obsessive-compulsive (OC) symptoms in patients with chronic schizophrenia

Several chromosomal loci obtained from genetic linkage studies have been reported of relating to schizophrenia. These areas include of 1q32-41, 6p24-21, 8p22-21, 15q13-14, and 22q11-12. The names of these genes located in these loci have not been identified, nor have the function and the relationship to the disease. Our research team using genetic linkage studies has found a strong linkage (NPL Z score = 2.18, p=0.01) between the D1S251 marker and schizophrenia disease. This marker is about 4 kb away from DISC1 (disrupted in schizophrenia gene 1) gene. In a Scottish family, a balanced translocation [t(1;11) (q42.1;q14.3)] has cosegregated inside the schizophrenia affected members of the family (LOD score =6.0). The breakpoint of the translocation is located at the intron area between exon 8 and exon 9 of DISC1 gene. This translocation disrupted the gene and caused its malfunction. A large molecular genetic study study recently in Finland has also demonstrated strong linkage evidence (Zmax=3.21) between the DIS2709 marker, located among exon 4 and exon 5 of DISC1 gene, and schizophrenia in a. All these findings have indicated that DISC1 gene is a potential positional candidate gene and worth for further study. The main purposes of this proposal include: (1) To evaluate the incidence rate of the balanced translocation between the chromosome 1q42.1 and 11q14.3 in approximately 500 schizophrenic patients in Taiwan. Furthermore, we will compare the clinical symptoms, illness course, and family genetic model to examine if any particular characters coexist with the translocation. (2) To search for the genetic polymorphisms in DISC1 gene area, where the thirteen exons, the promoter regions (1 kb upstream the start codon), and the breakpoint area (1 kb of both upstream and downstream area) will be analyzed by the method of denaturing high performance liquid chromatography (DHPLC). Case-control association study will be performed further in each 200 schizophrenic patients and normal controls to evaluate the relationship between the disease and the clinical characteristics. This proposal is quite feasible and prospective with the following reasons. (1) All the DNA samples and the clinical data have been collected and evaluated completely for further analysis. (2) Our research team has built up an integrated andreliable molecular genetic laboratory. All the facilities necessary for this study (DHPLC) had been setup with standard operating protocols and working routinely. (3) DISC1 gene has strong linkage evidence with schizophrenia in Taiwanese sample. The high prior probability of DISC1 gene as a positional candidate gene increases the successfulness of association study. . (4) Once the relationship among balance translocation, genetic polymorphism and the schizophrenia have established, further functional study will be evaluated to understand the possible mechanisms involved in the disease.

The purpose of this study is to explore how the brain works during particular memory tasks in people with schizophrenia and healthy volunteers. Research has shown that patients with schizophrenia have structural and functional abnormalities in the hippocampus and cerebellum of their brains. These abnormalities are likely associated with the memory impairment experienced by these patients. Eye blink tests can provide information about memory acquisition involving the cerebellar and hippocampal regions. By altering the stimuli interval, these tests can distinguish between cerebellum-dependent memory associated with subliminal mnemonic encoding and hippocampus-dependent memory associated with conscious awareness. This study will use eyeblink tests to determine which type of memory is predominantly affected in schizophrenia. Participants in this study will be screened with a physical and psychiatric examination. Participants will have an electroencephalogram (EEG), an electrocardiogram (ECG), and an electrodermal test. Evoked potentials and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans of the brain may also be taken.

An accurate identification of individuals at ultra-high risk (UHR) based on psychometric tools to prospectively identify psychosis as early as possible is required for indicated preventive intervention. The diagnostic comparability of several psychometric tools is unknown. To address the psychometric comparability of the CAARMS, SIPS and BSABS for subjects who are the immediate family and three-generation blood kinship of patients with schizophrenia. To verify the viability and reliability of the three instruments for these subjects. subjects who all are immediate family and three-generation blood kinship of patients with schizophreniawere interviewed. All the subjects were assessed for a UHR state by three psychometric tools including CAARMS, SIPS and BSABS. The psychometric diagnosis results including at risk of psychosis (UHR+), not at risk of psychosis (UHR-), and Psychosis. Demographic and clinical characteristics interviewed by these three instruments were also measured. The inter-rater agreement was assessed for evaluation of the coherence of the three scales. Transition rates of CAARMS, SIPS and BSABS for UCH+ subjects within 2 years were also recorded.There is good diagnostic agreement between the CAARMS, SIPS and BSABS towards identification of UHR subjects who are immediate family and three-generation blood kinship of patients with schizophrenia. Also, these three instruments are reliable and valid for assessing and detecting at risk mental states in these subjects.

Deficits or abnormalities in reward processing are present in a number of psychiatric disorders. The overarching objective of the study is to conduct initial validation work towards optimising three experimental tasks - which have previously been shown to be sensitive to reward processing deficits - for future use in clinical trials. This initial validation work has the primary objective to uncover group differences in task outcome measures between healthy control participants, participants with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and participants with schizophrenia (SZ) using statistical analyses. This may provide some indications for the use of these tasks as clinically-relevant biomarkers. Primary aims include: (i) comparing the investigator's endpoint means and distributions to those in previously published data; (ii) replication of previously-reported differences between MDD/SZ vs. healthy control participants, and, (iii) exploring the relationship between task endpoints and subjective participant- and clinician-rated report of reward-related constructs (e.g. anhedonia, negative symptoms).

This is an observational, non-interventional study that will recruit Healthy Volunteers (HV) and subjects with clinically confirmed Schizophrenia (SZ). The purpose of this study is to establish the mean and variance across the HV and SZ cohorts, sites, and repeated tests of the electroencephalogram(EEG)/Event-related potentials (ERP) measures.

The objectives of this study are to describe characteristics, treatment patterns, and outcomes of patients with schizophrenia newly initiated on 1 of 4 FDA-approved atypical Long Acting Injectable (LAI) antipsychotics (ABILIFY MAINTENA®, ARISTADA®, INVEGA SUSTENNA® or RISPERDAL CONSTA®)

The purpose of this study is to identify if there are self-reported/caregiver reported or objective measures that can predict near-term relapse (within 1 month or at another identified time point before meeting the criteria for relapse) or early symptomatic changes indicative of pre-relapse.

This Cross-sectional Study Included Patients that diagnosed with schizophrenia, aged 18-55, 20 of which hospitalized in mental health department and 20 in medical follow-up. Different test will be administered, in two or three sessions, to evaluate cognitive ability, function ability and participation. The results of the VIS shopping task performance (statically & dynamically) and its correlation with the cognitive and function tests as well as the participation questionnaire will be examined. These findings will indicate whether the shopping task is valid to assess executive functions for people with schizophrenia and whether it is ecologically valid.

This is a single center study that uses both between-group comparisons and correlational analyses to establish biomarkers of dysmyelination and cognitive impairment in Psychotic Spectrum Disorders using imaging and neuropsychological assays.The study will provide non-invasive biomarkers of cognitive dysfunction in Psychotic Spectrum Disorder.