View clinical trials related to Schizophrenia.
Filter by:Empathy constitutes one prominent ability of social cognition, which represents the human capability of understanding mental state of the other, and responding in sympathetic way. Two sets of theoretical mechanisms were designed in order to explain how empathy is possible. Theory of Mind (ToM)and Simulation.People who suffer from schizophrenia frequently exhibit social dysfunction, preventing them of a normal integration in healthy human environments. Recently it had been discovered that impairment in empathy and a specific impairment in effective TOM are mostly associated with the social malfunctioning of people who suffer from schizophrenia. One of the biological substances most connected to social cognition is the neuromodulator Oxytocin. Among its known involvement in uterine contractions and lactating females, numerous recent studies have found an indispensable role for Oxytocin in various complex prosocial behaviors such as maternal behavior, attachment, partner preference and trust. In the proposed study, we plan to examine the influence of a single dose of intranasal Oxytocin on the two primary mechanisms of empathy, namely mentalizing (Theory of Mind) and Simulation, both in healthy people and in people who suffer from schizophrenia.
Objective Primary: To evaluate the efficacy of social skills training in reducing negative symptoms in patients with refractory schizophrenia, in comparison with control (befriending group). Secondary: To evaluate changes in social functioning. To evaluate the effect of SST in other dimensions of psychopathology: positive symptoms, depression and general psychopathology. To evaluate the impact of SST in cognition. Hypothesis Social skills training is more effective than control group (Befriending) in reducing negative symptoms in patients with refractory schizophrenia.
Schizophrenia affects cognition, emotion, and behavior. Neuropsychological assessment enables a better understanding of antipsychotic effectiveness and the brain processes, underlying cognitive functioning in schizophrenia. Neurocognitive deficits in schizophrenia patients appears to explain up to 61% of the variance of functional outcome and is an important predictor of social reintegration (Peuskens et al, 2005) and independent living activitiy (Green et al, 2004). Impaired social functioning within schizophrenia population has been associated with increased health-care costs. Since social and occupational disability may generate the largest indirect costs of the illness, treatment of cognitive deficits has an enormous impact on the cost and disability associated with schizophrenia (McGurk and Mueser, 2004). However, the gap between cognitive science and clinical practice limits the implementation of cognitive assessment in the routine evaluation of schizophrenia patients. Pharmaceutical industry initiated numerous large scale, multisite studies on the impact of novel antipsychotics on cognitive deficits in schizophrenia patients. The aim of this research is to develop population norms of the computerized neuropsychological assessment for effectiveness of the antipsychotic treatment in schizophrenia.
The purpose of this study is to gather systematic clinical data on whether aripiprazole, a partial dopamine agonist, beneficially affects schizophrenia plus cocaine dependence subjects. Since aripiprazole has established effects against schizophrenia, the study focuses on whether aripiprazole concurrently reduces co-morbid cocaine dependence in schizophrenia plus cocaine dependence sufferers compared to a standard typical antipsychotic treatment (perphenazine). The working hypothesis states that subjects in the aripiprazole treatment arm of the study will give fewer cocaine positive urine specimens as compared to the perphenazine control arm.
We are going to investigate the association of multiple genetic polymorphisms with the metabolic side effects in patients with schizophrenia taking clozapine.
The purpose of the study is to evaluate tolerability and efficacy of escitalopram (Cipralex) treatment in doses beyond 20mg (20-40 mg/d) in patients with OCD and schizophrenia, non responsive or partially responsive to recommended doses (evaluation according to Y-BOCS). An open label, prospective study. The study will include 20 patients recruited from the inpatient wards and from the outpatient clinic who have a DSM-IV diagnosis of schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder and OCD. Before entering the study all patients will be interviewed by 2 senior board certified psychiatrists in order to confirm the diagnosis of schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder and OCD according to DSM-IV criteria. After confirming the diagnosis of schizophrenia/schizoaffective disorder and OCD each patient will be evaluated by PANSS, Y-BOCS and GCI-S scales. Those patients who score above 12 points on the Y-BOCS will be eligible for the study. Rating scales (PANSS, Y-BOCS, CGI-S, CGI-I) will be completed on a weekly basis during the whole 13 weeks period. In addition patients will be asked to report medication side effects and will also be clinically evaluated for side effects by the physician. Special attention will be paid to worsening of psychosis or OC symptoms. All patients whose mental status will deteriorate or those who cannot tolerate the drug will be dropped-out and intent to treat analysis will be made.
Environmental risk factors for the development of schizophrenia include infections during the perinatal period or later in life with Toxoplasma gondii (TG) being one of the candidate agents. A recent review (Torrey and Yolken, 2003) on TG in schizophrenia and other serious mental disorder reported higher antibodies to TG in patients compared to controls in 18 of 19 studies, one having been conducted by the investigators group. In a second, independent study on first-episode schizophrenia (n=56) and control subjects (n=32), sera were sampled and standard instruments used to assess diagnoses and psychopathology, respectively to screening controls. For the total sample, contacts with animals during pregnancy and age emerged as a non-significant predictors of TG IgG titers. Means of patients' and controls' TG IgG titers did not differ significantly but variances did; a subgroup of patients' titers reached much higher levels than those of controls. Patients in the high TG IgG subgroup were older (p=0.001), also they were older when psychiatric symptoms appeared, more individuals had regular animal contacts during pregnancy, or rural upbringing including regular animal contact, more consumption of raw meat, and a higher absolute treatment response (all trend levels). Regarding the short term course of patients, the investigators detected decreasing IgG titers in several individuals A power analysis demonstrated that results fell short of significance due to lack of statistical power. Based on the power analysis, the investigators propose an opel label, multicenter study at three regionally different sites within Germany (Halle, Hamm, Heidelberg). The investigators intent to study 173 first-episode patients with schizophrenia, schizoaffective, and schizophreniform disorder and 173 matched controls. The investigators hypothesize that - according to the heterogeneity of the illness - a subgroup of patients will exhibit higher TG IgG titers compared to the remaining patients and to controls; that this subgroup will have had regular contact with animals during pregnancy and early life as well as developmental delays; and that clinical improvement, response to treatment, and subjective well-being will run parallel with TG IgG decrease. Patients shall be assessed on admission to hospital, at discharge and at 6- and 12-month-follow-up with respect to TG antibody titers, symptomatology, neuropsychology, predictors of outcome, quality of life, and neurological soft signs. In controls two assessments shall be performed, 12 months apart. All foreseen assessments will be performed using standard measurement instruments with sound reliability and validity such as the SCID and the PANSS. Exposure to cats, other warm-blooded life-stock, and raw meat will be assessed using a special questionnaire.
Objectives:The purpose of the study is to explore the efficacy and safety of H1-Coil deep brain rTMS in subjects with negative symptoms and cognitive deficits of schizophrenia (deficit syndrome), currently treated with atypical antipsychotics. Patient Population: The intention is to treat 45 patients diagnosed with schizophrenia, who are currently suffering mainly from negative symptoms and cognitive deficits (deficit syndrome). The patients will be of all racial, ethnic and gender categories, ranging from 18 to 65 years of age, and have PANSS negative≥21 and PANSS positive<24. Patients will be recruited from both academic and private research centers. Structure: The study is a randomized, prospective, 8 weeks, double blind study. Blinding: The treatment administrator and the study personnel and patients will be masked to the treatment being administrated. Concurrent Control: The study group will receive active rTMS treatment and the control group will receive an inactive, sham treatment.
The aim of the study is to examine whether the efficacy of psychoeducation in patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorders is dependent on their cognitive performance level and if a preceding cognitive training can enhance the therapeutic effects of psychoeducation
To measure the long-term changes in weight and plasma lipids after switching antipsychotic treatment to aripiprazole