Conditions: Psychotic Disorders Depressive Disorder, Major Depressive Disorder
Allocation: RANDOMIZED | Intervention model: PARALLEL
Enrollment: 12
Healthy volunteers: no

Brief summary:
This study tests the hypothesis that mifepristone will diminish cognitive distortion and alleviate psychosis in patients with schizoaffective disorder.

Detailed description:
You are invited to participate in a research study which evaluates the effectiveness of mifepristone (RU 486) in rapidly reducing the symptoms associated with schizoaffective disorder. Our group believes that the cognitive deficits (a decline in the ability to think clearly) and psychosis (hallucinations or delusions) exhibited in some affective disorders are driven by an excess of stress hormone effects (hypercortisolemia). Often the origin of this hormonal imbalance is unknown. Current treatment for schizoaffective disorder (characterized by mood swings and hallucinations and/or delusions) involves using a combination of antidepressant medication (for mood elevation), mood stabilizing medications (to prevent extreme high and low moods) and antipsychotic medication (for the correction of altered thinking). While these therapies are often effective, they can take several weeks or longer to work. We hope to uncover a quick, effective, safe therapy for the treatment of individuals with your condition.

Arms:
arm 1: Patients will be randomized to placebo arm 2: Patients will be randomized to mifepristone

Interventions: intervention 1: Mifepristone intervention 2: Placebo Oral Tablet
Intervention descriptions: intervention 1: 600 mg of mifepristone intervention 2: Placebo comparator

Protocol document: