Brain Circuits in Schizophrenia and Smoking
Trial Snapshot
- Phase
- Not Applicable
- Status
- Completed
- Enrollment
- 42
- Locations
- 1
- Primary Endpoint
- Test the hypothesis that dorsal anterior cingulate cortex - ventral straitum (dACC-VS) resting state functional connectivity (rsFC) is related to smoking in NC smokers and NC nonsmokers.
Study Overview
Brief Summary
Background:
- Smoking is associated with serious health risks. People who have mental illness are more likely to smoke. Researchers are studying the brain circuits linked with smoking and nicotine craving. This study will look at whether a specific brain circuit can explain the high rate of smoking in people with schizophrenia.
Objectives:
- To study brain activity in smokers and nonsmokers with and without schizophrenia, as well as their family members.
Eligibility:
- Current smokers (at least 100 cigarettes in the past year) and nonsmokers between 18 and 62 years of age in one of the following groups:
- Have been diagnosed with schizophrenia.
- Family members of those with schizophrenia.
- Healthy adults with no history of severe mental illness or brain trauma.
- Family members of the healthy adults.
Design:
- People in the study will be screened with a physical exam, medical history, questionnaires, and blood tests.
- They will have up to three visits: the screening visit and two study visits (each given 1 year apart).
- At the first study visit, those taking part will be trained in the tests they will do during the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan. Then they will have the MRI scan.
- After the first study visit, current smokers will receive phone calls from the study researchers every other month for 1 year. They will be asked about their smoking habits.
- At the second study visit, current smokers and some nonsmokers will have another MRI scan and the same tests as before.
- Current smokers will receive a final phone call 1 year after the second study visit. They will be asked to give information about their smoking habits.
Detailed Description
Objective
The health risk associated with tobacco use is high, and is even higher in people with severe mental illness. The underlying brain circuitry for smoking-mental illness comorbidity is unknown. Identifying brain comorbidity circuitry is important for new therapeutic development. This study will examine whether a specific brain circuitry can explain the high rate of smoking in patients with schizophrenia. Identifying the key brain circuits associated with smoking, especially smoking in a high risk population, will provide concrete biomarkers for new therapeutic development, and ultimately reducing the smoking related health burden.
Study Population
Schizophrenic patients and their family members, non-schizophrenia controls and their family members, including smokers and nonsmokers in each of the four groups will be included in this study.
Design
Study Design
- Study Type
- Observational
- Time Perspective
- Other
Eligibility Criteria
- Ages
- 18 Years to 62 Years (Adult)
- Sex
- All
- Accepts Healthy Volunteers
- Yes
Inclusion Criteria
- Not provided
Exclusion Criteria
- Not provided
Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
Test the hypothesis that dorsal anterior cingulate cortex - ventral straitum (dACC-VS) resting state functional connectivity (rsFC) is related to smoking in NC smokers and NC nonsmokers.
Secondary Outcomes
- Test the hypothesis that dACC-VS rsFC is associated with SZ by comparing SZ smokers and SZ nonsmokers with NCs above. First-degree relatives of SZ smokers will be included to rule out medication effects.
- Examine the mechanistic implication of the rsFC measure using parallel resting & behavioral/cognitive task based fMRI; compare fMRI signals and test the hypothesis that reward/inhibition nodes/circuits and rsFC are associated with aspect...