Schizophrenia
Conditions
Brief summary
Patients with schizophrenia have abnormal skin flush response to niacin, but the niacin skin test accuracy is not well studied in these patients. The study evaluated the niacin skin test accuracy in adult hospitalized schizophrenia patients and their first degree relatives, bipolar disorder patients, and healthy controls.
Interventions
BIOLOGICALNiacin skin test
Two concentrations including 0.5 ml solutions of 0.01 M and 0.1 M diluted methyl nicotinate were applied for one minute to the inside of the different forearms of each individual.
Sponsors
Isfahan University of Medical Sciences
Study design
Allocation
NON_RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
DIAGNOSTIC
Masking
SINGLE (Subject)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 65 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* Diagnosis of schizophrenia patients and bipolar disorder patients diagnosed according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders version IV criteria * Normal healthy subjects without a psychiatric history * First degree relatives of schizophrenic patients
Exclusion criteria
* Dermatological lesions, asthma or allergic disease, diabetes, chronic hypertension, vasculitis, substance use disorders (except cigarette smoking), or pregnancy * Taking any oral medication that could affect the metabolism of prostaglandins such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or corticosteroids
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Skin flush response | Every 5 minutes for 20 minutes | Skin response was assessed by a single physician every 5 minutes for 20 minutes after removal of the substance. The outcome assessor was not blinded to the applied solution dosages. The strength of the flushing reaction was classified as 0 = no redness, 1 = faint redness, 2 = distinct redness, and 3 = extreme or maximum redness. |
Outcome results
None listed