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Niacin Flushing as Marker of Cannabis Effects on Arachidonic Acid Pathways in Schizophrenia

NCT00376233 · Status: COMPLETED · Type: OBSERVATIONAL · Enrollment: 100

Last updated 2006-10-12

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

Increasing evidence suggests modulating effects of cannabinoids on time of onset, severity, and outcome of schizophrenia. Efforts to discover the underlying pathomechanism have led to the assumption of gene x environment interactions including premorbid genetical vulnerability and worsening effects of continuing cannabis use. For a main characteristic of psychoactive delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol is its affinity to biological membranes, which are known to be disturbed in schizophrenia patients and genetic high-risk populations.

Here we assess an hypothesised association between premorbid lipid disturbance and metabolic effects of external cannabinoids in schizophrenia.

Intensity of niacin (methylnicotinate) skin flushing, indicating disturbed prostaglandin-mediated processes, is used as peripheral marker of lipid-arachidonic acid pathways and investigated in cannabis consuming and non-consuming schizophrenia patients and in healthy controls. Methylnicotinate is applied in three concentrations onto the forearm skin. Flush response is assessed in three minute intervals over 15 min using optical reflection spectroscopy.

Conditions

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • University of Jena

    lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

  • Heinrich Sauer, PhD · University of Jena

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Max Age
40 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2004-02-29
Completion
2005-06-30

Countries

  • Germany

Study Locations

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Entities

Diseases

Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT00376233 on ClinicalTrials.gov