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Weiser M, Levi L, Park J, Nastas I, Matei V, Davidson M, Arad I, Dudkiewicz I, Davis JM. A randomized controlled trial of add-on naproxen, simvastatin and their combination for the treatment of schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2023; 73:65-74. [PMID: 37126871 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2023.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2023] [Revised: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 04/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
This large randomized controlled trial examined the effect of naproxen, simvastatin or both on patients with schizophrenia. This was a large multi-center, twelve-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, four-arm clinical trial administering naproxen, simvastatin or both to 232 subjects with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder. The primary outcome was change in PANSS total score. ANCOVA and mixed model analyses of the PANSS total score change showed no significant difference between naproxen and placebo (adjusted p = 0.78), simvastatin and placebo (adjusted p = 0.38) or the combination of naproxen and simvastatin compared to placebo (adjusted p = 0.72). No statistically significant drug-placebo differences were found in the PANSS subscales, CGI or BACS between all groups. There was a near significant improvement in negative symptoms (p = 0.06), and an analysis of the 5 factor PANSS factors analysis found a significant improvement in simvastatin above placebo in withdrawal (p = 0.03). These finding were not significant after correcting for multiple comparisons. A meta-analysis on changes in total PANSS scores in studies on statins in schizophrenia, including the present study together with six other studies showed a significant improvement for statins compared to placebo (Hedges' G of -0.245 (CI= -0.403, -0.086, p = 0.002). When one outlying study which showed particularly strong effects of statins was removed, part of the effect went away. In conclusion, in this study, naproxen and simvastatin alone or in combination were not efficacious in the treatment of symptoms in schizophrenia. However, the meta-analysis of all studies of simvastatin for schizophrenia indicates further research on this topic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark Weiser
- Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer 52621, Israel; Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
| | - Linda Levi
- Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer 52621, Israel
| | - Jinyoung Park
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, USA
| | - Igor Nastas
- Department of Psychiatry, Narcology and Medical Psychology, State University of Medicine and Pharmacy Nicolae Testemitanu, Chișinău, Moldova
| | - Valentin Matei
- Department of Neuroscience, discipline of Psychiatry, University of Medicine and Pharmacy "Carol Davila", Bucharest, Romania
| | | | - Ido Arad
- Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer 52621, Israel
| | - Israel Dudkiewicz
- Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer 52621, Israel; Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - John M Davis
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
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Levi L, Zamora D, Nastas I, Gonen I, Radu P, Matei V, Ciobanu AM, Nacu A, Boronin L, Karakrah L, Davidson M, Davis JM, Weiser M. Add-On Pramipexole for the Treatment of Schizophrenia and Schizoaffective Disorder: A Randomized Controlled Trial. J Clin Psychiatry 2022; 83. [PMID: 35921506 DOI: 10.4088/jcp.21m14233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/16/2022]
Abstract
Objective: Several small clinical trials have reported that the dopamine agonist pramipexole was beneficial in treating patients with schizophrenia. A confirmatory trial was conducted to test this hypothesis. Methods: This 16-week, multicenter, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study included 200 subjects meeting DSM-IV-TR criteria for schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder. Patients were randomized to receive either pramipexole (0.75 mg twice daily, n = 100) or placebo (n = 100) as an add-on to their regular antipsychotic treatment. The primary outcome measure was the total score on the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS); secondary outcome measures included PANSS subscale and cognitive functioning scores. Recruitment was performed in 30 sites in Romania and 1 site in the Republic of Moldova between January and June 2011. Results: Analysis of covariance models showed no significant difference between pramipexole and placebo for total PANSS (P > .99) and PANSS positive (P > .99), negative (P = .73), and general psychopathology (P = .99) subscale scores. Changes in Clinical Global Impressions-Severity of Illness scale and Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia scores showed no significant difference between pramipexole and placebo. Conclusions: The results of this large randomized controlled trial indicated that pramipexole was not efficacious as an add-on to antipsychotic medications for schizophrenia. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT01320982.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linda Levi
- Department of Psychiatry, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel
| | - Daisy Zamora
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Igor Nastas
- Department of Psychiatry, Narcology and Medical Psychology, State University of Medicine and Pharmacy Nicolae Testemitanu, Chișinău, Moldova
| | | | | | - Valentin Matei
- Department of Neuroscience, Discipline of Psychiatry, University of Medicine and Pharmacy "Carol Davila," Bucharest, Romania
| | - Adela M Ciobanu
- Department of Neuroscience, Discipline of Psychiatry, University of Medicine and Pharmacy "Carol Davila," Bucharest, Romania
| | - Anatol Nacu
- Department of Psychiatry, Narcology and Medical Psychology, State University of Medicine and Pharmacy Nicolae Testemitanu, Chișinău, Moldova
| | - Larisa Boronin
- Department of Psychiatry, Narcology and Medical Psychology, State University of Medicine and Pharmacy Nicolae Testemitanu, Chișinău, Moldova
| | - Lusian Karakrah
- Department of Psychiatry, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel
| | | | - John M Davis
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Mark Weiser
- Department of Psychiatry, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel.,Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.,Corresponding author: Mark Weiser. MD, Department of Psychiatry, Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, 52621, Israel
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Davidson M, Levi L, Park J, Nastas I, Ford L, Rassnick S, Canuso C, Davis JM, Weiser M. The effects of JNJ-39393406 a positive allosteric nicotine modulator on mood and cognition in patients with unipolar depression: A double-blind, add-on, placebo-controlled trial. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2021; 51:33-42. [PMID: 34023797 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2021.04.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2021] [Revised: 04/27/2021] [Accepted: 04/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Nicotinic agonists have been shown to improve cognition and mood, but this improvement is inconsistent and short-lived, possibly due to receptor desensitization. Positive Allosteric Modulators (PAMs) of the nicotinic alpha-7 nicotinic-acetyl-choline receptor (a7nAChR) are hypothesized to change the configuration of the nicotinic receptor and delay desensitization, potentially increasing the duration of the activation of the receptor, and improving clinical efficacy. This was a randomized controlled trial (RCT) adding JNJ-39393406 9 (a PAM of the a7nAChR) (n=35) or placebo (n=36) to treatment as usual for two weeks in 71 patients with unipolar depression. Mixed models for repeated measures analyses were performed Primary outcome measures were the Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia (BACS) composite and the Montgomery-Asperg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) scores. The drug was well tolerated, however mixed models for repeated measures comparing JNJ-39393406 to placebo showed no significant difference for MADRS total score (p=0.78), BACS composite score (p=0.34), or any of the secondary outcome measures. There was no significant difference in adverse events between the study groups (p=0.44). In conclusion, this study's findings do not support the hypothesis that a positive nicotinic receptor modulator can improve cognitive or depressive symptomatology in patients with unipolar depression.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Linda Levi
- Department of Psychiatry, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Ramat Gan 52621, Israel
| | - Jinyoung Park
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Igor Nastas
- Department of Psychiatry, Narcology and Medical Psychology, State University of Medicine and Pharmacy Nicolae Testemitanu, Moldova
| | - Lisa Ford
- Janssen Research & Development LLC, USA
| | | | | | - John M Davis
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Mark Weiser
- Department of Psychiatry, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Ramat Gan 52621, Israel; Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
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Weiser M, Zamora D, Levi L, Nastas I, Gonen I, Radu P, Matei V, Nacu A, Boronin L, Davidson M, Davis JM. Adjunctive Aspirin vs Placebo in Patients With Schizophrenia: Results of Two Randomized Controlled Trials. Schizophr Bull 2021; 47:1077-1087. [PMID: 33479775 PMCID: PMC8266648 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbaa198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Two previous randomized controlled trials (RCTs) suggested that adjunctive aspirin is efficacious in treating schizophrenia. We conducted two 16-week double-blind randomized placebo-controlled RCTs of adjunctive 1000 mg aspirin vs placebo in schizophrenia. Study 1 included 200 patients, with Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) total score as the primary outcome. Study 2 included 160 patients with C-reactive protein (CRP) >1 mg/L at baseline; the primary outcome was PANSS-positive score. Dropout rates for aspirin/placebo were 12% in study 1 and 20% in study 2. Differences in outcome between aspirin and placebo were calculated with linear regression, adjusting for the baseline value of the outcome. No statistically significant between-group differences were found in primary or secondary outcomes in either study. Study 1: mean difference in PANSS at 16 weeks was -3.9 (95% CI: -8.4 to 0.5, P = .10, effect size (ES) = -0.25) and at 8 weeks was -3.5 (95% CI: -7.5 to 0.5, P = .11, ES = -0.22). Study 2: mean difference in PANSS at 16 weeks was 0.3 (95% CI: -4.1 to 4.7, P = .90, ES = 0.02) and in positive PANSS was 0.5 (95% CI: -1.0 to 2.1, P = .50, ES = 0.11). A meta-analysis of these data with the existing studies, excluding one with large baseline differences in total PANSS, found that the overall estimate of the effect of adjunctive aspirin on the PANSS total score comparing group means at the end of the study was -2.9 (95% CI: -6.6 to 0.7; P = .21), favoring aspirin. Our studies and meta-analysis failed to find a statistically significant improvement in the symptoms of schizophrenia from adjunctive aspirin therapy in comparison to placebo in schizophrenia. Trial registration: study 1: Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT01320982; study 2 (high CRP): EudraCT Number: 2014-000757-36.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark Weiser
- Department of Psychiatry, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel,Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel,To whom correspondence should be addressed; Department of Psychiatry, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, 52621, Israel; tel: +97235303773; +97235303773; fax: +97235353807; e-mail:
| | - Daisy Zamora
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC
| | - Linda Levi
- Department of Psychiatry, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel
| | - Igor Nastas
- Department of Psychiatry, Narcology and Medical Psychology, State University of Medicine and Pharmacy Nicolae Testemitanu, Chisinau, Moldova
| | | | | | - Valentin Matei
- Department of Psychiatry, Obrejia Hospital, Bucharest, Romania
| | - Anatol Nacu
- Department of Psychiatry, Narcology and Medical Psychology, State University of Medicine and Pharmacy Nicolae Testemitanu, Chisinau, Moldova
| | - Larisa Boronin
- Department of Psychiatry, Narcology and Medical Psychology, State University of Medicine and Pharmacy Nicolae Testemitanu, Chisinau, Moldova
| | | | - John M Davis
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois, Chicago, IL
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Weiser M, Levi L, Zamora D, Biegon A, SanGiovanni JP, Davidson M, Burshtein S, Gonen I, Radu P, Slobozean Pavalache K, Nastas I, Hemi R, Ryan T, Davis JM. Effect of Adjunctive Estradiol on Schizophrenia Among Women of Childbearing Age: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Psychiatry 2019; 76:1009-1017. [PMID: 31365044 PMCID: PMC6669788 DOI: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2019.1842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Several lines of evidence suggest that estradiol influences the course of schizophrenia, and a previous randomized controlled trial demonstrated that transdermal estradiol improved symptoms in female patients of childbearing age. However, many initial positive findings in schizophrenia research are not later replicated. OBJECTIVE To independently replicate the results of the effect of estradiol on schizophrenia in women of childbearing age. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS An 8-week randomized, placebo-controlled trial performed in the Republic of Moldova between December 4, 2015, and July 29, 2016, among 200 premenopausal women aged 19 to 46 years with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder as defined by the DSM-5. INTERVENTION Patients were randomized to receive a 200-μg estradiol patch or placebo patch changed twice a week added to their antipsychotic treatment. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES The primary outcome was the positive subscale of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS; lower scores indicated fewer symptoms and higher scores indicated more symptoms), analyzed with mixed models for repeated measures on an intention-to-treat basis. RESULTS A total of 100 women (median age, 38 years; interquartile range, 34-42 years) were randomized to receive an estradiol patch and 100 women (median age, 38 years; interquartile range, 31-41 years) were randomized to receive a placebo patch; the median age at baseline for the entire group of 200 women was 38.0 years (range, 19.5-46.0 years). At baseline, the mean positive PANSS score was 19.6 for both groups combined; at week 8, the mean positive PANSS score was 14.4 in the placebo group and 13.4 in the estradiol group. Compared with placebo, participants receiving add-on estradiol patches had statistically significant improvements in the primary outcome measure, PANSS positive subscale points (-0.94; 95% CI, -1.64 to -0.24; P = .008; effect size = 0.38). Post hoc heterogeneity analyses found that this effect occurred almost entirely in 100 participants older than 38.0 years (46 in placebo group vs 54 in estradiol group; difference, -1.98 points on the PANSS positive subscale; 95% CI, -2.94 to -1.02; P < .001). Younger participants did not benefit from estradiol (difference, 0.08 points on the PANSS positive subscale; 95% CI, -0.91 to 1.07; P = .87). Breast tenderness was more common in the estradiol group (n = 15) than in the placebo group (n = 1) as was weight gain (14 in estradiol group vs 1 in placebo group). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE The results independently replicate the finding that transdermal estradiol is an effective add-on treatment for women of childbearing age with schizophrenia and extend it, finding improvements in negative symptoms and finding that the effect could be specific to those older than 38 years. The results should be viewed in the context of the differences in the natural course of schizophrenia between females and males. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03848234.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark Weiser
- Stanley Medical Research Institute, Kensington, Maryland,Department of Psychiatry, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel,Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Linda Levi
- Department of Psychiatry, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel
| | - Daisy Zamora
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill,Laboratory of Clinical Investigation, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Anat Biegon
- Department of Radiology, Stony Brook University Medical School, Stony Brook, New York,Department of Neurology, Stony Brook University Medical School, Stony Brook, New York
| | - John Paul SanGiovanni
- Section on Nutritional Neuroscience, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular & Cellular Biology, Georgetown School of Medicine, Washington, DC
| | - Michael Davidson
- Department of Psychiatry, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel,University of Nicosia Medical School, Engomi, Cyprus
| | - Shimon Burshtein
- Department of Psychiatry, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel
| | | | | | | | - Igor Nastas
- Psychiatry, Narcology, and Medical Psychology, State University of Medicine and Pharmaceuticals, “Nicolae Testemianu,” Chisinau, Moldova
| | - Rina Hemi
- Institute of Endocrinology, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel
| | - Timothy Ryan
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois, Chicago
| | - John M. Davis
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois, Chicago,Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland
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