Effect of Switch to Aripiprazole on Health and Smoking Parameters in Patients With Schizophrenia: A Pilot Study

• Status: Completed
• Trial end date: 2005-09-01
• Target enrollment: 0
• Participant gender: All

Summary

Patients with schizophrenia are much more likely to be engaged in smoking and other addictive behaviors, possibly related to biochemical abnormalities in the reward center of the brain. The primary purpose of the present study is to investigate whether switching patients with schizophrenia to a new atypical antipsychotic, aripiprazole, a drug with a novel mechanism of action, will have an impact on smoking behavior.

• Phase: Phase 4
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers?: No

Details

• Lead Sponsor: Veterans Medical Research Foundation
• Treatments: Aripiprazole

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Schizophrenia, on stable antipsychotic dose for at least one month

2. Ages 18-65 inclusive

3. Overweight (body mass index of 25 kg/m2 or greater)

4. Daily cigarette smoker (by self-report)

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Inability to provide informed consent

2. Treatment refractory schizophrenia

3. Current treatment with clozapine

4. Current antipsychotic polypharmacy which may preclude monotherapy with aripiprazole

5. Documented poor compliance with oral antipsychotic medication