None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
The purpose of this project is to investigate changeover from a person's current antipsychotic drug to a relatively new drug for the treatment of schizophrenia. This drug, Aripiprazole, works differently than any other antipsychotic drugs that have been previously available. Therefore, this study is important because the current knowledge is limited and it will allow a better understanding of a safe and effective way to switch over.
Interventions
Switchover from current antipsychotic to Aripiprazole.
Sponsors
Associate Professor Krishna Vaddadi
Study design
Allocation
Non-randomised trial
Intervention model
Single group
Primary purpose
Treatment
Masking
Open (masking not used)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
0 to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
Patients who are outpatients (private or public) attending southern health facility and have a well established diagnosis of schizophrenia (DSM-IV diagnosis criteria), who report side effects on their existing medication, who have not fully responded to their current therapy, who in the clinicians opinion, would benefit from Aripiprazole, who are able to comprehend what is happening to them and able to give informed consent, who can speak a reasonable level of English, and where completing rating scales with adequate information is not a practical problem.
Exclusion criteria
Patients who want to become pregnant during the study period, with alcohol dependence, with acquired brain injury associated with schizophrenia, who are on too complex medication regimes which would be difficult to change, who have previously been treated with Aripiprazole, who are on very high doses of clozapine in (>500mg/day), on very high doses of injectable Zuclopenthixol Decanoate (>200mg/fortnight), with a past history of severe violence/suicidal risk, who are generally non-compliant with oral medication, who have poor social supports and are very unreliable with appointments, and patients who are very stable on their current antipsychotic medication, but want to change to Aripiprazole simply because it is a new drug, their friend got better or, someone told them it is a good idea.
Outcome results
None listed