Status:

COMPLETED

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

Lead Sponsor:

University of Jena

Conditions:

Schizophrenia

Cannabis Abuse

Eligibility:

All Genders

18-40 years

Brief 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 o...

Detailed Description

Subjects Niacin skin tests are performed on acutely ill consecutively admitted schizophrenia patients suffering not more than two psychotic episodes. All meet DSM-IV criteria for paranoide schizophren...

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion

  • Patients:
  • acutely ill
  • consecutively admitted
  • diagnosis of schizophrenia according to DSM-IV criteria for paranoide schizophrenia.
  • not treated or treated with atypical neuroleptic drugs
  • cannabis use on a regular basis (≥ 0,5 g/d, at least 3 month) prior to admission or
  • never use of cannabis apart from unique trials
  • no use of any other drug or alcohol on a regular basis.
  • Controls:
  • healthy volunteers recruited by newspaper advertisement
  • cannabis user (duration and dose of cannabis use as in patients)or
  • no cannabis experience at all
  • All cannabis consuming participants:
  • positive for cannabinoids in urine test at the time of niacin testing

Exclusion

  • Controls:
  • current psychiatric diagnosis or psychiatric personal or family history.
  • All individuals:
  • any current or history of skin disorders (eczema, atopical dermatitis, psoriasis)
  • recent treatment with steroids or non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs (e.g. acetylsalicylic acid)

Key Trial Info

Start Date :

February 1 2004

Trial Type :

OBSERVATIONAL

End Date :

June 1 2005

Estimated Enrollment :

100 Patients enrolled

Trial Details

Trial ID

NCT00376233

Start Date

February 1 2004

End Date

June 1 2005

Last Update

October 12 2006

Active Locations (1)

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1

University of Jena, Department of Psychiatry

Jena, Thuringia, Germany, D-07743