Using D-cycloserine to Enhance the Benefits of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Schizophrenia

• Status: Completed
• Trial end date: 2010-12-01
• Target enrollment: 0
• Participant gender: All

Summary

This study will examine whether pretreatment with D-cycloserine before cognitive behavioral therapy can reduce impairments still present in people with stable cases of schizophrenia as well as determine which traits make schizophrenics most likely to respond to D-cycloserine treatment.

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

Details

• Lead Sponsor: Massachusetts General Hospital
• Collaborator: National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
• Treatments: Cycloserine

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

• Meets DSM-IV criteria for schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, or schizophrenia, paranoid subtype, based on chart review, Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV, and consultation with the patient's clinicians

• Medicated with an antipsychotic agent other than clozapine at a stable dose for at least 6 weeks

• Scores at least 3, or "moderate," on the Scale for the Assessment of Positive Symptoms global delusion rating

• Paranoid or referential delusional content

• Never engaged in formal CBT psychotherapy in the past

Exclusion Criteria:

• Diagnosis of a comorbid Axis I disorder other than schizophrenia

• Active substance abuse or dependence within 6 months

• Significant suicidal ideation within 6 weeks

• Pregnant or nursing

• Unstable medical disorder

• impaired renal clearance (creatinine <60mg/dL/min)

• Suffering from dementia

• Suffering from seizure disorder