Schizophrenia, Dementia
Conditions
Keywords
Schizophrenia, Cognitive Disorders, Dementia, Huperzine A, HupA
Brief summary
Use Huperzine-A, a herbal supplement normally used for treatment of Alzheimer's disease, to potentially improve cognitive dysfunction (memory problems) and functional capacity (ability to perform common daily tasks such as cooking, bathing, telephone, shopping) in people with schizophrenia.
Detailed description
HupA, an alkaloid initially identified from the Chinese herbal medicine Huperia serrata, is a potent reversible acetyl cholinesterase (AChE) inhibitor with additional unique properties including NMDA-receptor antagonist properties, neuroprotective and antioxidant effects. In animal studies, HupA was shown to possess greater inhibitory, longer-lasting, and more selective effects on AChE activity than donepezil. In clinical studies HupA improved memory, mood, and activities of daily living in patients with Alzheimer's dementia. Adverse effects have been reported at a very low rate in all the clinical trials, and are mainly cholinergic, such as dizziness, nausea, gastrointestinal symptoms, headaches and depressed heart rate. Thus, HupA is an attractive option which may have beneficial effects not only on cognitive but also functional domains of schizophrenia.
Interventions
DRUGHuperzine A
Huperzine A in 200 microgram (mcg) capsules taken twice daily for 8 weeks.
Sponsors
American Legion of Iowa Foundation
VA Nebraska Western Iowa Health Care System
Study design
Allocation
NA
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
19 Years to 59 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
1. age 19-59 2. diagnosis of schizophrenia by MINI 3. cognition score 1 standard deviation below published norms in controls 4. clinically stable for 12 weeks i.e. on the same antipsychotic(s) for 8 weeks and stable dose for at least 4 weeks 5. have no more than moderate severity rating on hallucinations, delusions formal thought disorder (BPRS), negative symptoms (PANSS\_N) 6. minimal EPS (Simpson-Angus \<6) 7. minimal depression (Calgary \<10) 8. stable dose of other psychotropics (2 months) 9. not pregnant.
Exclusion criteria
1. history of active peptic ulcer disease within 1 year of screening 2. clinically significant cardiac arrhythmia 3. resting pulse less than 50 4. active cancer (skin tumors other than melanoma are not excluded) 5. history of clinically significant stroke 6. current evidence or history in the past 2 years of epilepsy, focal brain lesion 7. start of cholinesterase inhibitors/ cognitive enhancers (galantamine, rivastigmine, donepezil, vitamin E and memantine) within 2 months of screening, 8. use of medications with significant central nervous system anticholinergic activity within 2 months of screening.
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery | First visit, 4 weeks, 8 weeks |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| University of California Performance Skills Assessment-Brief (UPSA-B) | First visit, 8 weeks |
Countries
United States
Contacts
Primary ContactDaniel A Ramirez, BS
Outcome results
None listed