Facilitation of NMDA Receptor Function in Patients With Schizophrenia and Co-morbid Alcoholism

• Status: Completed
• Trial end date: 2015-12-01
• Target enrollment: 0
• Participant gender: All

Summary

This placebo-controlled study is designed to evaluate the efficacy of glycine, an agonist of the glycine-B co-agonist site of the NMDA receptor, on alcohol consumption and craving as well as negative symptoms in schizophrenia.

Glycine will decrease the rewarding action of ethanol and reduce ethanol consumption. Also, glycine will improve negative symptoms and cognitive deficits in schizophrenia.

• Phase: Phase 2
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers?: No

Details

• Lead Sponsor: Yale University
• Collaborator: Stanley Medical Research Institute
• Treatments: Glycine

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

• DSM-IV diagnosis of schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder

• DSM-IV diagnosis of alcohol dependence

• Stable treatment with typical or atypical antipsychotics

Exclusion Criteria:

• Axis I diagnosis other than alcohol dependence, schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, OCD, and PTSD.

• current drug dependence

• evidence of significant hepatocellular injury evidence by abnormal SGOT or SGPT levels

• history of seizures

• diabetes and medical conditions that would alter glycine metabolism

• positive pregnancy test

• treatment with clozapine, naltrexone or disulfiram