Cognitive training is moderately effective at reducing symptoms and improving life function in schizophrenia patients. The present application develops a strategy for increasing the effectiveness of cognitive training through the use of pro-cognitive medications. Specific biomarkers will be studied that identify patients most sensitive to these pro-cognitive medications, to test the feasibility of using these biomarkers in a large clinical trial of medication-enhanced cognitive training in schizophrenia.
Name: Memantine
Description: Each participant receives a single pill of placebo or active drug (memantine, 10 or 20 mg) and completes about 6 hours of testing in the laboratory. One week later, that participant receives a single pill of the alternate comparator and is again tested in the laboratory. Thus, in total, each participant receives one placebo pill and one active pill, separated by one week.Type: DrugMemantine
Name: Placebo
Description: Each participant receives a single pill of placebo or active drug (memantine, 10 or 20 mg) and completes about 6 hours of testing in the laboratory. One week later, that participant receives a single pill of the alternate comparator and is again tested in the laboratory. Thus, in total, each participant receives one placebo pill and one active pill, separated by one week.Type: DrugPlacebo
Description: Prepulse inhibition of the startle reflex
Measure: Prepulse inhibition Time: 3 yearsDescription: MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery Performance
Measure: MATRICS Time: 3 yearsAllocation: Randomized
Crossover Assignment
There is one SNP
PPI-enhancing effects of MEM in healthy subjects are associated with: 1) increased WM; and 2) phenotypes linked to the high activity Val158Met COMT polymorphism. --- Val158Met ---