Actively Recruiting
Energetics and Glutamate in Schizophrenia
Led by King's College London · Updated on 2025-09-05
75
Participants Needed
1
Research Sites
247 weeks
Total Duration
On this page
AI-Summary
What this Trial Is About
The goal of this case-control study is to compare brain glutamate, glucose utilisation, lactate production and brain activity in healthy volunteers and people with a diagnosis of schizophrenia. It investigates the following main questions: Whether, compared to healthy volunteers, participants with schizophrenia show: 1. reduction in brain glucose utilisation 2. increased brain lactate 3. greater variability in brain glutamate Participants will be asked to have a screening visit, a MRI brain scan and a PET-MRI brain scan.
CONDITIONS
Official Title
Energetics and Glutamate in Schizophrenia
Who Can Participate
Eligibility Criteria
You may qualify if you...
- Healthy volunteers with no history of psychiatric illness as assessed by the Mini neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI)
- Adults meeting ICD-11 criteria for schizophrenia (F20) in either treatment responsive or treatment resistant groups
- Treatment responsive group must have symptomatic remission with mild or less scores on specified PANSS items and no relapse in past 6 months
- Treatment responsive group must be on one or more specified antipsychotic medications and show moderate or better adherence on the Kemp scale
- Treatment resistant group must meet modified consensus criteria including at least two antipsychotic trials of 6 weeks or more at specified doses
- Treatment resistant group must have PANSS total score over 70 and moderate functional impairment (SOFAS below 60)
- Treatment resistant group must be on one or more specified antipsychotic medications and show moderate or better adherence on the Kemp scale
You will not qualify if you...
- Pregnancy or breastfeeding
- Lack of mental capacity to provide informed consent
- Diabetes or history of taking antidiabetic medication
- Contraindications to 7 Tesla MRI such as metallic or electronic implants and dental wires
- Severe claustrophobia preventing PET or MRI participation
- Body size exceeding comfortable limits of the MRI scanner
- Previous research or clinical procedures involving ionising radiation totaling 10mSv or more within 12 months
- History of head injury with loss of consciousness over 5 minutes
- Meeting ICD-11 criteria for organic mental disorders (F00-F09)
- Meeting ICD-11 criteria for mental and behavioral disorders due to psychoactive substance use (F10-F19)
- Dependence on psychoactive substances excluding nicotine or cannabis
- Participation in clinical trials with pharmacological agents other than licensed antipsychotics within the last month
AI-Screening
AI-Powered Screening
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Trial Site Locations
Total: 1 location
1
South London and the Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust
London, United Kingdom
Actively Recruiting
Research Team
A
Alice Egerton, PhD
CONTACT
How is the study designed?
Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Masking
N/A
Allocation
N/A
Model
N/A
Primary Purpose
N/A
Number of Arms
3
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