Conditions: Schizophrenia Cigarette Smoking
Keywords: schizophrenia smoking nicotine cognitive deficits nicotinic receptors Cognitive Deficits in Schizophrenia
Allocation: RANDOMIZED | Intervention model: PARALLEL
Enrollment: 93
Healthy volunteers: no

Brief summary:
This is a 8-week double-blind placebo controlled parallel group study of the efficacy of varenicline (Chantix) for smoking cessation in schizophrenic patients, and its effect on cognitive function in patients with schizophrenia.At some sits evaluation of smoking measures is extended to 12 weeks. Correlations will be made with biological predictors of efficacy: a) measures of nicotinic receptors in lymphocytes b) DNMT1 and GAD67 mRNA in lymphocytes. Subjects will be current cigarette smokers or history of regular smokers.

Detailed description:
This was a double-blind placebo controlled study of varenicline and matched placebo in patients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia or schizoaffective psychosis who were treated with antipsychotic medication and were cigarette smokers. Three sites (2 U.S., 1 Israel) were supported by the Stanley grant. A similar independently supported study was conducted in Beijing, China. We were allowed to access these data and combine them for our analysis of results. Subjects at each site participated in a protocol which was approved by their institutional IRB. All subjects signed informed consent.

The study evaluated multiple measures of cigarette smoking, cognitive functions by MATRICS battery (Measurement and Treatment Research to Improve Cognition in Schizophrenia), and psychiatric symptoms by PANSS (Positive and Negative Symptom Scale), SANS (Schedule For Assessment Of Negative Symptoms), and Calgary Depression scales. Lymphocytes were collected for measurement of epigenetically related mRNA's.

Arms:
arm 1: Varenciline 1-2 mg/day arm 2: placebo for varenicline

Interventions: intervention 1: Varenicline intervention 2: Placebo for varenicline
Intervention descriptions: intervention 1: Varenicline 1-2 mg/day intervention 2: Placebo

Protocol document: