The primary objective of this project is to examine the effects of varenicline treatment used concomitantly with antipsychotic medications, on cognitive dysfunction in people with schizophrenia. The secondary objective is to evaluate the effect of this combination therapy on smoking in people with schizophrenia. This study will be a randomized, double blind, parallel group, placebo controlled 8 weeks trial.
Cognitive deficits have been considered as a core symptom domain of schizophrenia. Amelioration of or improvement in cognitive impairments is becoming an important focus of clinical treatment development. Varenicline is a potent and selective alpha 4 beta 2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor partial agonist that has been developed for smoking cessation. In animal studies, alpha 4 beta 2 receptor agonists significantly improve working memory and attention function. Subjects will be assigned in 1:1 ratio to receive varenicline or placebo respectively. Assessments will be done using several neuropsychologic tests, clinical rating scale including assessment of nicotine withdrawal scales.Varenicline has been found to be efficacious for smoking cessation in the general population and animal studies have demonstrated the cognitive benefits of this agent. However, no published work is available evaluating the cognitive effects in humans. Thus, patients may experience improvements in cognitive function and in people who are smokers, these people may be able to achieve abstinence in smoking. This will in turn improve long-term functional outcomes and health outcomes in people with schizophrenia. This is an exciting opportunity for discovery if indeed cognitive abilities could be improved with this adjunctive treatment.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
DOUBLE
Enrollment
120
The dose of antipsychotic drug will remain fixed throughout the study and the titration of varenicline will be as follows: varenicline 0.5 mg/d for days 1 to 3, 0.5 mg twice per day for days 4 to 7, then 1 mg twice per day through week 8.
The dose of antipsychotic and concomitant medications remained fixed throughout the study and the titration of varenicline was as follows: Placebo will be supplied twice daily through week 8.
Dongrae Hospital
Busan, South Korea
Jamyeong
Busan, South Korea
Busan Paik Hospital
Busan, South Korea
Ahab Hospital
Busan, South Korea
Dongseo hospital
Masan, South Korea
To examine the effects of varenicline treatment used concomitantly with antipsychotic medications, on cognitive dysfunction in people with schizophrenia.
Time frame: 8 weeks
To evaluate the effect of this combination therapy on smoking in people with schizophrenia.
Time frame: 8 weeks
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