NCT01012830

Huperzine-A to Help With Mental Problems and the Inability to Care for Onself in Patients With Schizophrenia

Huperzine-A for Cognitive Dysfunction and Functional Status in Schizophrenia

• Status: Unknown
• Phase: Phase 4
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 15 (estimated)
• Sponsor: VA Nebraska Western Iowa Health Care System · Federal
• Sex: All
• Age: 19 Years – 59 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

Use Huperzine-A, a herbal supplement normally used for treatment of Alzheimer's disease, to potentially improve cognitive dysfunction (memory problems) and functional capacity (ability to perform common daily tasks such as cooking, bathing, telephone, shopping) in people with schizophrenia.

Detailed description

HupA, an alkaloid initially identified from the Chinese herbal medicine Huperia serrata, is a potent reversible acetyl cholinesterase (AChE) inhibitor with additional unique properties including NMDA-receptor antagonist properties, neuroprotective and antioxidant effects. In animal studies, HupA was shown to possess greater inhibitory, longer-lasting, and more selective effects on AChE activity than donepezil. In clinical studies HupA improved memory, mood, and activities of daily living in patients with Alzheimer's dementia. Adverse effects have been reported at a very low rate in all the clinical trials, and are mainly cholinergic, such as dizziness, nausea, gastrointestinal symptoms, headaches and depressed heart rate. Thus, HupA is an attractive option which may have beneficial effects not only on cognitive but also functional domains of schizophrenia.

Conditions

• Schizophrenia
• Dementia

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DRUG	Huperzine A	Huperzine A in 200 microgram (mcg) capsules taken twice daily for 8 weeks.

Timeline

• Start date: 2009-12-01
• Primary completion: 2010-12-01
• Completion: 2011-04-01
• First posted: 2009-11-13
• Last updated: 2009-11-13

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States