Effects of Acute Nicotine Treatment on Neuroplasticity and Memory in Patients With Schizophrenia
Status:
Terminated
Trial end date:
2013-04-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
Patients with schizophrenia display cognitive impairments, such as reduced attention and
problems with memory. Available medications for schizophrenia poorly alleviate memory
problems however, research indicates that nicotine improves memory. In order for there to be
memories formed, there has to be changes (neuroplasticity changes) in how the brain cells
communicate. One way to induce such changes is by using Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation
(TMS) combined with peripheral nerve stimulation in a Paired Associative Stimulation (PAS)
paradigm. The investigators laboratory has developed a novel method that measures memory-like
brain changes using electroencephalography (EEG), TMS and PAS. The present study will use
this novel method to evaluate the effects of acute nicotine gum (4mg) and placebo (regular)
gum on memory and memory-like brain changes in schizophrenia and healthy controls. The
hypothesis is that nicotine will improve memory and facilitate neuroplasticity changes in the
prefrontal cortex of patients with schizophrenia to a larger extent than in healthy controls.