View clinical trials related to Psychotic Disorders.
Filter by:The purpose of this clinical research study is to evaluate the overall effectiveness of 8 week of aripiprazole treatment.
The purpose of this study is to collect and compare information regarding the treatment and outcome of patients diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease who are receiving either drug or nondrug treatment. Information will be collected from patients and their primary caregivers.
This study will gather information on the natural history of the basic symptoms of psychosis to identify factors that may affect the improvement or persistence of the symptoms.
Recent studies show that 25 – 30% of depressed patients never fully recover, resulting in a treatment-resistant condition. Thus, depression is a major cause of human suffering. We are interested in finding new ways of identifying and alleviating treatment-resistant depression, and we believe that recent advances in brain imaging can contribute to achieving that goal. In this project, we will use a novel compound ([N-methyl-11C]mirtazapine) that we invented for examining the neurochemistry of brain receptors involved in antidepressant actions. Our compound, [N-methyl-11C]mirtazapine, is closely related to the clinically effective antidepressant drug mirtazapine (Remeron®). It labels several types of noradrenergic receptors that have often been implicated in “stress reactions” as well as depressive disorders. We believe that our compound can identify specific molecular brain dysfunctions that are causally related to treatment-resistant depression. The purpose of this study is to determine whether there is a reliable relationship between the level of mirtazapine in the bloodstream and the occupancy of neuroreceptors by mirtazapine in the brain. We will apply our standard procedures of PET brain scanning and region-of-interest data analysis, using healthy volunteers who will receive a daily dose of mirtazapine (double-blind design with placebo, 7.5 mg or 15 mg daily for 5 days). We believe that this project could provide a procedure for assessing brain function in treatment-resistant depression, with the aim of improving the guidelines for successful, evidence-based treatment of depression.
The objective of this study is to determine the effect of various mood stabilizers (MS) on the insulin resistance syndrome (IRS; also called the metabolic syndrome) alone and in patients treated with antipsychotic drugs (APDs). Patients will be switched from their current antipsychotic medication to aripiprazole (Abilify) or ziprasidone (Geodon) (unless clinically contraindicated) for comparison with metabolic levels during treatment with the former medication. The metabolic syndrome is an empirical concept based on extensive evidence that a constellation of 5 metabolic abnormalities, e.g. increased cholesterol, hypertension, low HDL, taken together, predict marked increases in the risk of CVD, stroke and some types of cancer.
The primary goal of this study is to examine the triglyceride/HDL ratio and the ischemic EKG changes in patients with schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder or bipolar disorder.
The goal of the project is to characterize abnormalities in brain structure and function related to schizophrenia. The investigators will use advanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques to measure the degree and distribution of neuronal activity during specific cognitive tasks, alterations in neuronal connectivity, and how these are related to disease symptoms and treatment.
Weight gain associated with antipsychotic medication use is a major side effect that limits the tolerability of these drugs. This often significant weight gain adversely affects health, increasing risks for developing cardiovascular disease, diabetes, sleep apnea, cancers of the colon, kidneys, uterus, endometrium and esophagus and osteoarthritis. Beasley and colleagues (1997) reported that 40.5% of olanzapine-treated patients gained more than 7% of baseline weight. Much of the olanzapine induced weight gain occurs early in treatment, and antipsychotic-naïve and young patients (Woods et al., 2002) are particularly vulnerable to this side effect. One of the most promising medications to aid weight loss in patients taking olanzapine is amantadine. Attempts at preventing weight gain are expected to be more successful than attempts to reverse it once it occurs. It is now common clinical practice to educate all patients beginning treatment with olanzapine, and other antipsychotics, about healthy eating and the need for exercise. However, despite this effort, weight gain in this population continues. Beginning a weight-stabilizing medication after a low threshold of weight gain has occurred may have significant impact on patients' health and their willingness to continue to take antipsychotics. We propose to investigate the efficacy of amantadine as a weight-stabilizing agent in a population of first-episode psychotic subjects just beginning treatment with antipsychotic agents. This population is generally young and medically healthy, without contraindications to amantadine. They are often of normal body mass index and without obesity-related medical problems. They have much to gain in preventing the weight gain which so often progresses steadily over the course of treatment, is difficult to reverse and results in significant morbidity and mortality. Additionally, the first episode psychotic population tends to take fewer concomitant psychiatric medications. This is important since these medications may cause weight gain (long term use of mirtazapine, lithium, depakote) or weight loss (short term use of SSRI's) which could confound the effectiveness of amantadine to combat weight gain.
Patients who have schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, a psychotic disorder, and are being treated with a medication called Risperidone Long Acting Injectable medication or another antipsychotic medication are candidates for the study. The purpose of the study is to find out from patients' family how they feel the medication has affected their relationship with them. The study will involve meeting with family members three times over the course of one year. The first time will be at New Hampshire Hospital (NHH) or at a community mental health center and the follow up times will be at a convenient place and time for the family member (s), in the community. We will ask them to answer questions from the Family Burden Interview and Quality of Life Questionnaire. The family will not be charged for any test that is completed solely for this study. The family will be provided a travel stipend to meet with the researchers.
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.