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Biomarker Study of Acamprosate in Schizophrenia

NCT00688324 · Status: COMPLETED · Phase: PHASE4 · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 36

Last updated 2019-09-25

Study results available
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Summary

NMDA receptors are brain receptors that are stimulated by glutamate. Poorly functioning NMDA receptors are thought to be involved in the pathology of schizophrenia. This hypothesis is based on the observation that PCP, which blocks the NMDA receptor, produces symptoms and cognitive impairments similar to schizophrenia. Efforts to enhance the function of the NMDA receptor with glycine and D-cycloserine have met with limited success. An alternative approach would be to use the drug acamprosate.

Acamprosate, FDA-approved for maintenance of sobriety after detoxification from alcohol, seems to act through modulation of the NMDA receptor. In the lab, acamprosate has been noted to act as an antagonist when the NMDA receptors are maximally stimulated but as an agonist when NMDA receptor stimulation is minimal. This "smart drug" action makes acamprosate appealing for use in schizophrenia. If acamprosate works as a smart drug in patients, then we would predict that it would enhance the function of NMDA receptors in schizophrenia and improve cognition and the symptoms of the illness. Additionally, acamprosate seems to modulate the NMDA receptor in novel ways distinct from glycine and D-cycloserine.

We will also see if the response to acamprosate differs based on whether participants do or do not have a past history of alcohol use disorders.

Conditions

Interventions

DRUG

Acamprosate

Acamprosate 333mg, ii tablets PO tid x 2 weeks

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression

    collaborator OTHER

  • National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)

    collaborator NIH

  • University of Maryland, Baltimore

    lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

  • Bernard A Fischer, M.D. · Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

Study Design

Allocation
NA
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Model
SINGLE_GROUP

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Max Age
55 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2008-06-30
Primary Completion
2012-02-29
Completion
2012-02-29

Countries

  • United States

Study Locations

More Related Trials

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 NCT00688324 on ClinicalTrials.gov