Dopaminergic, Functional, Structural, and Cognitive Disturbances in First-episode Schizophrenia

• Status: Completed
• Trial end date: 2010-09-01
• Target enrollment: 0
• Participant gender: All

Summary

We wanted to compare dopamine D2 receptor activity, brain structure, brain function, sensory gating and cognition in neuroleptic-naive schizophrenic patients and matched healthy controls. Additionally, we wanted to examine the effects of 3 months of treatment with either low doses of a typical or an atypical antipsychotic compound on the same functions. The hypotheses were that schizophrenic patients suffered from disturbances in brain function and structure, information processing, and extrastriatal D2 receptor activity, and that these disturbances would be related to each other and to psychopathology. Additionally, we expected the atypical compound to have an effect on some of the disturbances in information processing, and that the atypical compound - in contrast to the typical drug - would show extrastriatal over striatal selectivity.

• Phase: N/A
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers?: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Details

• Lead Sponsor: Birte Glenthoj
• Collaborators: Copenhagen Hospital Corporation; Glostrup University Hospital, Copenhagen; Hvidovre University Hospital; Janssen-Cilag Ltd.; Rigshospitalet, Denmark; The Danish Medical Research Council; The Novo Nordic Foundation; University of Copenhagen
• Treatments: Antipsychotic Agents; Clopenthixol; Risperidone

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

• For patients: Clinical diagnosis of schizophrenia.

• The controls were matched to the patients.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients: Previous antipsychotic treatment, patients who were compulsorily hospitalised or deemed in acute need of medication, mental retardation

• Controls: psychiatric diagnosis, psychiatric diagnosis in first-degree relatives, drug abuse, mental retardation