Huperzine-A to Help With Mental Problems and the Inability to Care for Onself in Patients With Schizophrenia

• Status: Unknown status
• Trial end date: 2011-04-01
• Target enrollment: 0
• Participant gender: All

Summary

Use Huperzine-A, a herbal supplement normally used for treatment of Alzheimer's disease, to potentially improve cognitive dysfunction (memory problems) and functional capacity (ability to perform common daily tasks such as cooking, bathing, telephone, shopping) in people with schizophrenia.

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

Details

• Lead Sponsor: VA Nebraska Western Iowa Health Care System
• Collaborator: American Legion of Iowa Foundation
• Treatments: Huperzine A

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

1. age 19-59

2. diagnosis of schizophrenia by MINI

3. cognition score 1 standard deviation below published norms in controls

4. clinically stable for 12 weeks i.e. on the same antipsychotic(s) for 8 weeks and stable dose for at least 4 weeks

5. have no more than moderate severity rating on hallucinations, delusions formal thought disorder (BPRS), negative symptoms (PANSS_N)

6. minimal EPS (Simpson-Angus <6)

7. minimal depression (Calgary <10)

8. stable dose of other psychotropics (2 months)

9. not pregnant.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. history of active peptic ulcer disease within 1 year of screening

2. clinically significant cardiac arrhythmia

3. resting pulse less than 50

4. active cancer (skin tumors other than melanoma are not excluded)

5. history of clinically significant stroke

6. current evidence or history in the past 2 years of epilepsy, focal brain lesion

7. start of cholinesterase inhibitors/ cognitive enhancers (galantamine, rivastigmine, donepezil, vitamin E and memantine) within 2 months of screening, 8. use of medications with significant central nervous system anticholinergic activity within 2 months of screening.