CompletedNot Applicable

Study Comparing Patients Taking Olanzapine and Patients Taking Aripiprazole on Learning of Vocational Skills

United States43 participantsStarted 2004-01

Plain-language summary

STUDY PURPOSE: To study whether patients who have schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder and are randomly assigned to switch to aripiprazole prior to participation in a brief vocational skills training (VST) will have improved cognitive functioning and learn more in VST than those randomly assigned to stay on olanzapine. There is evidence that VST is important in improving role functioning for schizophrenia patients, however, cognitive impairments limit the ability of some patients to benefit from skills training approaches. Patients switched from olanzapine to aripiprazole improve in terms of verbal learning and verbal learning has been shown to be a strong predictor of community outcome. It is unclear whether the cognitive benefits of switching to aripiprazole extend to improve learning of vocational skills.

Who can participate

Age range18 Years – 52 Years

SexALL

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Inclusion Criteria: * DSM-IV diagnosis of schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder * Between ages of 18 and 52 * On olanzapine for a minimum of 3 months prior to participation * Outpatient status for at least 3 months * Vision and hearing intact or corrected to extent that will allow participation in vocational training and cognitive testing * Score in impaired range on at least one test from a cognitive battery designed to be sensitive to impairments in schizophrenia * Ability to participate in the informed consent process, as evidenced by an assessment of the capacity to give consent for research developed by the Maryland Psychiatric Research Center (DeRenzo et al., 1998). Exclusion Criteria: * History of head injury, mental retardation or neurological disorder * Below a 4th grade reading level (32) according to the WRAT-3 * Taking multiple atypical antipsychotics * Taking any decanoate antipsychotic * Hospitalization in last 3 months * Employment * Alcohol or drug abuse that interferes with functioning or medication compliance

What they're measuring

Toilet Tank Assembly Task at 13 and 14 weeks

Card Sorting Task at baseline, 13 and 14 weeks

Trial details

NCT IDNCT00223418

SponsorThe University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio

Sponsor typeOTHER

Study typeINTERVENTIONAL

Primary completion2007-06