Acetazolamide for Treatment Resistant Schizophrenia
A Randomized Controlled Trial of Acetazolamide for Patients With Treatment Resistant Schizophrenia
Who can join
As published by the study on ClinicalTrials.gov. "Not stated" means the study hasn't said — ask the study team.
- Age
- 18 Years to 55 Years
- Sex
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Compensation
- Not stated
Other requirements are listed under Eligibility below. Only the study team can confirm whether you can join.
What to expect
No one can promise a trial will help you personally — that is what the research is trying to find out.
What participation involves
- Time periods mentioned: 25 years, 50 years, 8 weeks
Only what the study's summary and detailed description on ClinicalTrials.gov say. Time periods may describe the whole study or a part of it — ask the study team what applies to you.
Show the study's own words
- "Persons with SZ have a 10% suicide rate and their lifespan is curtailed by over 25 years."
- "Used for over 50 years, its side effects (SE) and adverse effects (AE) are well known and are manageable."
- "ACZ or placebo will be added to prescribed APDs for 8 weeks utilizing the Sequential Parallel Comparison Design to maximize power."
- Compensation
- Not stated
- Study-related exams and procedures are typically provided at no cost. This is how many trials work in general — confirm the details for this study with the study team.
- Participants are monitored closely by the research team throughout the study.
- Some participants may receive access to an investigational treatment, which is still being studied.
- Your participation helps researchers learn whether this approach could help future patients.
About this study
In plain language
This study tests acetazolamide as an add-on to antipsychotic medicine for schizophrenia. It is for adults ages 18–55 who still have symptoms after trying other antipsychotic medicines.
This is a double blind adjunctive randomized controlled trial for schizophrenia using acetazolamide.
Compensation is read from the study's own description and may be missing — always confirm with the study team.
Eligibility
Who can join
- Give written consent to join the study.
- Be 18–55 years old. All genders may join.
- Still have symptoms after two different antipsychotic medicines, each taken at a treatment dose for 6 weeks.
- Have a total PANSS symptom score above 60, with a score above 4 on at least one item about symptoms such as hearing voices or having false beliefs.
- Have taken the same dose of antipsychotic medicine for more than 1 month and keep taking it throughout the study.
- Not be in another clinical trial that assigns treatments by chance.
Who can't join
- Have had substance abuse in the past month or dependence in the past 6 months. Prescribed methadone for opioid withdrawal is allowed.
- Have a past or current medical or nervous system illness that could become unstable, such as epilepsy, which causes seizures.
- Be pregnant.
- Be allergic to acetazolamide, or have taken it before or be taking it now.
- Have a history of renal hyperchloremic acidosis, a kidney-related problem that makes the blood too acidic.
- Have Addison’s disease or adrenal failure, which means the adrenal glands do not make enough hormones.
- Have chronic closed-angle glaucoma, an eye condition that raises pressure inside the eye.
- Have an intellectual disability as defined by DSM-5, a guide doctors use to diagnose mental and developmental conditions.
Simplified for readability. The official criteria below are what the study team uses.
Official eligibility criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Written informed consent. * Both genders, ages 18-55 years (older patients may not tolerate high ACZ dose). * PANSS total score \> 60 and Score \> 4 on one or more items of the 'positive' syndrome items (P1-P7), following treatment at therapeutic doses for 6 weeks with different APDs on 2 occasions. * Stable dose of antipsychotic drug (APD) for \> 1 month, continued throughout the study. * Not participating in another randomized controlled clinical trial (RCT). Exclusion Criteria: * Substance abuse in the past month/dependence past 6 months with the exception of methadone prescribed for opiate withdrawal. * History or current medical/neurological illnesses that may lead to unstable course, e.g., epilepsy. * Pregnancy. * Acetazolamide (ACZ) contraindications: hypersensitivity to ACZ; history of renal hyperchloremic acidosis; Addison's disease/adrenal failure; chronic closed angle-closure glaucoma. * Current or prior treatment with ACZ or history of hypersensitivity to ACZ. * Intellectual disability as defined in DSM 5.
Study sites (1)
PA
- University of Pittsburgh · Pittsburgh, PA 15213Maribeth A Wesesky, BPS · Study contact · 412-295-7017 · weseskyma@upmc.eduSatish Iyengar, Ph.D. · Sub-investigatorKonasale Prasad, M.D. · Sub-investigatorMaribeth A Wesesky, BPS · Sub-investigatorMore trials in Pittsburgh