View clinical trials related to Schizotypal Personality Disorder.
Filter by:The purpose of this study is to assess the safety and efficacy of a newly developed psychotherapy for schizotypal personality disorder. This new form of psychotherapy integrates compassion focused therapy and metacognitively oriented psychotherapy.
The dopamine hypothesis of schizophrenia implies that alterations in the dopamine system cause functional abnormalities in the brain that may converge to aberrant salience attribution and eventually lead to psychosis. Indeed, widespread brain disconnectivity across the psychotic spectrum has been revealed by resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI). However, the dopaminergic involvement in intrinsic functional connectivity (iFC) and its putative relationship to the development of psychotic spectrum disorders remains partly unclear - in particular at the low-end of the psychosis continuum. Therefore, the investigators examined dopamine-induced changes in striatal iFC and their modulation by psychometrically assessed schizotypy. The randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled study design included 54 healthy, right-handed male participants. Each participant was assessed with the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire (SPQ) and underwent 10 min of rs-fMRI scanning. Participants then received either a placebo or 200 mg of L-DOPA, a dopamine precursor. The investigators analyzed iFC of six striatal seeds that are known to evoke modulation of dopamine-related networks. The investigators hypothesized that, within the L-DOPA treatment group, the striatal iFC would be disrupted due to increased availability of dopamine. The investigators further hypothesized that individuals with high schizotypal scores would show a disruption of striatal connectivity, as has been reported with schizophrenia. In addition, the investigators hypothesized that the L-DOPA-dependent change in striatal iFC would interact with the severity of positive symptoms, as has been found in previous studies in non-clinical psychosis. The investigators anticipated this symptom-dependent change, especially in the ventral striatal regions, because these are thought to modulate cortico-striatal loops associated with cognition and emotion.
The purpose of this study is to identify psychopathology (psychiatric symptoms) that can differentiate between Schizotypal Disorder (SD) and Asperger Syndrome (normal IQ, no language impairment Autism Spectrum Disorder) (AS) in young adults. With our present knowledge, the differentiation between AS and SD can be difficult, as they both present with social difficulties, odd (but not psychotic) behaviour, and a 'feeling of not being as everyone else'. Studies suggest that adults with AS symptoms are either overlooked, or diagnosed within the schizophrenia spectrum in Adult Psychiatry. A 'correct' diagnosis is important, as it is the first step towards the most optimal plan, treatment and rehabilitation for the patient. The only way to diagnose psychiatric illness is the description of present psychopathology. To identify symptoms that can differentiate between the two disorders, we will use semi-structured interviews to explore present psychopathology in young adults with typical symptoms of SD and AS respectively, with special focus on presence of alterations in self-experience. Alterations in self-experience are typical for the schizophrenia spectrum, and are therefore not thought to be equally present in AS and SD. The hypotheses are that the total level of altered experiences is higher in SD, than in AS, and with a different pattern of altered experiences in SD than in AS. If the hypotheses are true, an examination of altered self-experience will be valuable to aid clinical differentiation between the two disorders.
Neurophysiological indices of self-monitoring were assessed in a group of patients with Schizotypal Personality Disorder (SPD) and a control group. Both groups were assessed after the administration of risperidone and placebo.
This is a study to assess the efficacy augmenting cognitive remediation therapy (CRT) with a pharmacological agent for individuals with schizotypal personality disorder (SPD). Impaired cognition, along with functional and social skill deficits, is a core feature of schizophrenia and schizophrenia spectrum disorders. A better understanding of the cognitive and functional impairments in schizophrenia-related conditions, as well as the identification of interventions that can reduce these impairments, are vital to improving outcomes for individual with these disorders.
The purpose of the study is to examine the effects of the administration of a drug called DAR-0100A on attention and memory in persons with schizotypal personality disorder (SPD). DAR-0100A has not been FDA approved, however in recent studies has been used to treat cognitive deficits, meaning problems in the way you organize your thinking, in people diagnosed with schizophrenia. Many people who carry a diagnosis of schizotypal personality disorder have trouble with attention and memory. Increasing the presence of a brain chemical called dopamine has been found to help people with schizophrenia with their attention and memory problems. This study will investigate whether the same is true for people with schizotypal personality disorder by using DAR-0100A, a drug that has been shown to help with the cognitive deficits of people with Parkinson's disease by increasing dopamine effects. Information collected in this experiment may lead to a better understanding of the brain mechanisms involved in schizotypal personality disorder and improve treatments for the psychological problems associated with this condition.
Onset of psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia, typically occurs during late adolescence or early adulthood often resulting in chronic social and occupational disability. Deficits in cognition and functional outcome often precede the onset of full-blown psychosis although to a lesser degree than observed in schizophrenia. Recent progress in risk identification methodology has enabled reliable detection of persons who appear to be putatively prodromal for psychosis, that is, at clinical high risk (CHR) of developing a psychotic disorder. Since these CHR individuals already evidence cognitive deficits, which increase around the time of conversion, cognition is an excellent treatment target. Furthermore, there is clear evidence, in schizophrenia and in CHR samples, that deficits in cognition are related to poor functional outcome. Thus, treatments targeting cognition may consequently improve functional outcome. The primary aim of the project is to reduce cognitive deterioration and improve cognition among youths at CHR using cognitive remediation and to test the effectiveness of a new cognitive remediation program, the Brain Fitness program, in improving cognition of CHR individuals. A control treatment consisting of video games (VG) will be used. The primary hypothesis is that the BF group will have improved cognition at the end of treatment and 12 months post baseline compared to the VG group. A secondary hypothesis is that improved cognition will be associated with improved functioning. This is a longitudinal, single blind, placebo controlled pilot trial of cognitive remediation in 36 CHR persons. Participants will be randomised to either the BF or VG program, which will be administered over a period of 3 months. Assessments will occur at baseline, post treatment (3 months) and at 12 months after baseline. All subjects will be recruited in year 1 of the project and treatment will be completed by 15 months. The 40 hours of training will occur 4 days a week, for an hour each day, over a period of 10 -12 weeks.
The primary aim of this application is to conduct a randomized, controlled clinical trial of a specialized mental health service delivery system specifically developed for prodromal psychotic disorders. The intervention is Family-aided Assertive Community Treatment (FACT). The goal of the treatment is prevention of psychosis and disability. This study will assess experimentally the clinical effectiveness of this new type of mental health service. Other domains of outcome include cognitive dysfunction and functional disability.
The purpose of this study is to get a better understanding of the side effect burden and identify predictors of psychotic, mood and aggressive disorders in children and adolescents. The study's primary aim is to identify genetic risk factors for weight gain and metabolic abnormalities.
In a randomized clinical trial, the researchers want to investigate if the positive short-term outcomes (first 1-2 years), achieved with specialized assertive intervention programme (OPUS), can be maintained for five years if the specialized treatment is sustained over the first five years in comparison to only two years of specialized treatment followed by three years of standard treatment.