Official Title: “Social Cognition,Attentional Network and Nicotine Drug Dependency - A Pharmacological Clinical Trail”

In the present study, we investigate healthy subjects and schizophrenic patients who frequently show very low attentional capacity with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and electrophysiology (EEG) during attention-requiring tasks to assess the level of attentional network activity.

Study Type: Interventional

Study Design: Basic Science, Randomized, Double Blind (Subject, Caregiver, Investigator), Placebo Control, Factorial Assignment

Study Primary Completion Date: January 2009

Nicotine is improving attentional capacity which goes along with an activation of the attentional network in the brain. So far, however, it is unresolved whether nicotine is used for the purpose of self-medication by those nicotine-dependent subjects who suffer from subclinical or clinical attentional deficits which may sustain nicotine addiction. In the present study, we investigate healthy subjects and schizophrenic patients who frequently show very low attentional capacity with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and electrophysiology (EEG) during attention-requiring tasks to assess the level of attentional network activity. It is anticipated that low attentional network activity (during baseline condition, after nicotine challenge and after withdrawal) predicts the degree of nicotine dependence including the strength of withdrawal symptoms and relapse rate after smoking cessation. In addition, we expect that functional variations within alpha4beta2 nAch receptor genotype are associated with attentional capacity and -by extension - with nicotine dependence.

Additionally Self-medication of attentional deficits and of increased stress vulnerability may contribute to nicotine-dependence both in schizophrenia patients and healthy subjects.

However, very little is known about the effect of nicotine on stress in schizophrenia. In particular social stressors are highly relevant in schizophrenia often resulting in social withdrawal. A factor contributing to the stress-eliciting nature of social interaction is the misidentification of social information during communication with others. The present project aims at an investigation of nicotine effects on such social information processing and its neurophysiological correlates and on social stress responses. Using a 2x2-factorial design effects of nicotine vs. placebo are experimentally investigated in smoking schizophrenia patients in comparison to smoking healthy controls each after an overnight smoking deprivation. Nicotine will be administered by nasal spray delivering a systemic does of 2 mg nicotine. Event-related EEG potentials will be recorded during the presentation of pictures of facial affect and neutral control stimuli to assess social information processing and its neurophysiological correlates. In addition a videotaped semi-standardized conversation skills role-play test will be used as a social stress situation to assess self-reported and non-verbal affective responses.

Intervention(s) in this Clinical Trial

• Drug: nicotine nasal spray
  • 0,5 mg nicotine nasal spray or placebo (pepperspray)

Arms, Groups and Cohorts in this Clinical Trial

• Active Comparator: 1
  • schizophrenic and non schizophrenic patient stratified by smoking and non smoking will get nicotine and placebo on first day on the second day placebo and nicotine
• Placebo Comparator: 2
  • schizophrenic and non schizophrenic patient stratified by smoking and non smoking will get nicotine and placebo on first day on the second day placebo and nicotine

Primary Measures

• Effect of nicotine or placebo in healthy subjects and schizophrenic patients on attentional network activity in brain with functional magnetic resonance imaging and EEG
  • Time Frame: after last subject out
    Safety Issue?: No

Secondary Measures

• -Effect of nicotine on a4b2 nAch receptor genotype -Gene Expression of a4b2 nAch -effect of 24 h nicotine witdrawal on modulation special hormones -effect of nicotine on neurophysiological correlates of social stress
  • Time Frame: after last subject out
    Safety Issue?: No

Inclusion Criteria:

• age 18-55
• informed consent
• negative drug-screening (cannabis, amphetamine, opiate, cocaine)
• no drug abuse in medical history for last 6 month
• no participation of subjects in other pharmcological trials within 6 weeks
• negative pregnancy test
• use of effective contaception within participation of trial
• normotonia (heart rate, RR)
• nicotine dependence (Fagerström >4)or not more than 20 cigarettes /lifetime
• nicotine (smoker serum > 2ng/mL)
• DSM-IV criteria for schizophrenia
• healthy subjects

Exclusion Criteria:

• known hypersensitivity towards nicotine or any substance of placebo preperation
• adenoids
• Rhinitis vaso.
• hypersensitivity of air passages
• cardiovascular diseases (defined)
• neurological diseases (defined)
• diabetes mellitus
• hyperthreosis
• praechromocytome
• Clozapine (schizophrenic)

Gender Eligibility for this Clinical Trial: Both

Minimum Age for this Clinical Trial: 18 Years

Maximum Age for this Clinical Trial: 55 Years

Are Healthy Volunteers Accepted for this Clinical Trial?: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Lead Sponsor: Heinrich-Heine University, Duesseldorf

Overall Clinical Trial Officials and Contacts

G. Winterer, Prof. Dr. Principal Investigator Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy  

Overall Contact: G. Winterer, Prof. Dr. 0049-2119223463 georg.winterer@uni-duesseldorf.de

Information obtained from ClinicalTrials.gov on November 20, 2008

Link to the current ClinicalTrials.gov record. http://clinicaltrials.gov/show/NCT00618280

Study ID Number: NIKOGEN_HHU_2006

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00618280

Health Authority: Germany: Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices