CClinicalTrials.gg
CompletedNCT00688324Updated Sep 25, 2019Results posted

Biomarker Study of Acamprosate in Schizophrenia

A Phase 4 interventional study of Acamprosate in Schizophrenia and Schizoaffective Disorder, sponsored by University of Maryland, Baltimore. Completed at 4 sites in United States. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 55 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2019-09-25.

Sponsored by University of Maryland, Baltimore · Phase 4, Interventional, and Treatment

Phase
Phase 4
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
36
Allocation
Not applicable
Ages
18 Years to 55 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

NMDA receptors are brain receptors that are stimulated by glutamate. Poorly functioning NMDA receptors are thought to be involved in the pathology of schizophrenia. This hypothesis is based on the observation that PCP, which blocks the NMDA receptor, produces symptoms and cognitive impairments similar to schizophrenia. Efforts to enhance the function of the NMDA receptor with glycine and D-cycloserine have met with limited success. An alternative approach would be to use the drug acamprosate.

Acamprosate, FDA-approved for maintenance of sobriety after detoxification from alcohol, seems to act through modulation of the NMDA receptor. In the lab, acamprosate has been noted to act as an antagonist when the NMDA receptors are maximally stimulated but as an agonist when NMDA receptor stimulation is minimal. This "smart drug" action makes acamprosate appealing for use in schizophrenia. If acamprosate works as a smart drug in patients, then we would predict that it would enhance the function of NMDA receptors in schizophrenia and improve cognition and the symptoms of the illness. Additionally, acamprosate seems to modulate the NMDA receptor in novel ways distinct from glycine and D-cycloserine.

We will also see if the response to acamprosate differs based on whether participants do or do not have a past history of alcohol use disorders.

Read the detailed description

We propose to measure the response of symptoms and cognition in people schizophrenia given acamprosate or placebo. We hypothesize that symptoms and cognition will improve following two weeks of acamprosate. We will also use proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) to examine the effect of acamprosate on glutamate \& glutamine (Glu\&Gln) brain levels in people with schizophrenia. We hypothesize that Glu\&Gln concentrations in people with chronic schizophrenia will increase following two weeks of treatment with acamprosate.

The proposed study will consist of 50 individuals with chronic schizophrenia/schizoaffective disorder, 18-55 years old, from in/outpatient programs at the Maryland Psychiatric Research Center (MPRC). The dose of acamprosate will follow manufacturer recommendations with two 333mg tablets given three times per day. MRS will be acquired from areas involved in schizophrenia [dorsolateral-prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC)] at baseline and week two. Symptom ratings and cognitive testing will occur at baseline and be repeated at week two.

02

Conditions studied

  • Schizophrenia
  • Schizoaffective Disorder

Keywords

  • schizophrenia
  • schizoaffective disorder
  • glutamate
  • NMDA receptor
  • magnetic resonance spectroscopy
  • acamprosate
03

In context

Schizophrenia

3,471 studies on the registry are indexed under Schizophrenia; 472 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 36 is below the median of 70 across 2,872 interventional studies indexed under Schizophrenia.

Browse Schizophrenia studies →

Lead sponsor

University of Maryland, Baltimore is the lead sponsor of 687 studies on the registry; 130 are open to participants now.

Of its 90 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 63 (70%) have results posted.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years to 55 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

  • DSM-IV diagnosis of schizophrenia/schizoaffective disorder
  • Age 18-55 years
  • Male or female
  • Any Race/ethnicity
  • Participants will be analyzed separately depending on whether they do or do not have a history of an alcohol use disorder

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Pregnant/nursing females or females not using adequate birth control
  • Documented history of mental retardation/severe neurological disorder/head injury with loss of consciousness
  • DSM-IV diagnosis of substance dependence in previous six months/abuse in the previous three months (except nicotine)
  • Serious suicidal risk in the previous six months
  • History of renal failure/creatinine clearance of less than 50mL/min
  • Current treatment with clozapine
  • Contraindication to MRI scanning.
05

Study design

Phase
Phase 4
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Not applicable
Intervention model
Single group
Masking
None (open label)
Enrollment
36 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    Single Arm

    All subjects will have baseline measures, receive acamprosate for 2 weeks, then have measures repeated.

    Drug: Acamprosate

Interventions

  • DrugAcamprosate

    Acamprosate 333mg, ii tablets PO tid x 2 weeks

    Also known as: Campral

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Anterior Cingulate Cortex - Choline

    Choline brain metabolite levels between those with and without a lifetime history of prior alcohol abuse/dependence in the Anterior Cingulate Cortex (ACC) using Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS). Metabolite concentration was calculated from the MRS signals and reported in "mM".

    Time frame: Baseline screening (Scan 1) and again after 2 weeks of Acamprosate treatment (Scan 2)

  2. Anterior Cingulate Cortex - Creatinine

    Creatinine brain metabolite levels between those with and without a lifetime history of prior alcohol abuse/dependence in the Anterior Cingulate Cortex (ACC) using Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS). Metabolite concentration was calculated from the MRS signals and reported in "mM".

    Time frame: Baseline screening (Scan 1) and again after 2 weeks of Acamprosate treatment (Scan 2)

  3. Anterior Cingulate Cortex - Glutamate

    Glutamate brain metabolite levels between those with and without a lifetime history of prior alcohol abuse/dependence in the Anterior Cingulate Cortex (ACC) using Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS). Metabolite concentration was calculated from the MRS signals and reported in "mM".

    Time frame: Baseline screening (Scan 1) and again after 2 weeks of Acamprosate treatment (Scan 2)

  4. Anterior Cingulate Cortex - N-acetylaspartate

    N-acetylaspartate (NAA) brain metabolite levels between those with and without a lifetime history of prior alcohol abuse/dependence in the Anterior Cingulate Cortex (ACC) using Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS). Metabolite concentration was calculated from the MRS signals and reported in "mM".

    Time frame: Baseline screening (Scan 1) and again after 2 weeks of Acamprosate treatment (Scan 2)

  5. Anterior Cingulate Cortex - Myo-inositol

    Myo-inositol brain metabolite levels between those with and without a lifetime history of prior alcohol abuse/dependence in the Anterior Cingulate Cortex (ACC) using Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS). Metabolite concentration was calculated from the MRS signals and reported in "mM".

    Time frame: Baseline screening (Scan 1) and again after 2 weeks of Acamprosate treatment (Scan 2)

  6. Right Dorsal Lateral Prefrontal Cortex - Choline

    Choline brain metabolite levels between those with and without a lifetime history of prior alcohol abuse/dependence in the Right Dorsal Lateral Prefrontal Cortex (R DLPFC) using Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS). Metabolite concentration was calculated from the MRS signals and reported in "mM".

    Time frame: Baseline screening (Scan 1) and again after 2 weeks of Acamprosate treatment (Scan 2)

  7. Right Dorsal Lateral Prefrontal Cortex - Creatinine

    Creatinine brain metabolite levels between those with and without a lifetime history of prior alcohol abuse/dependence in the Right Dorsal Lateral Prefrontal Cortex (R DLPFC) using Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS). Metabolite concentration was calculated from the MRS signals and reported in "mM".

    Time frame: Baseline screening (Scan 1) and again after 2 weeks of Acamprosate treatment (Scan 2)

  8. Right Dorsal Lateral Prefrontal Cortex - Glutamate

    Glutamate brain metabolite levels between those with and without a lifetime history of prior alcohol abuse/dependence in the Right Dorsal Lateral Prefrontal Cortex (R DLPFC) using Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS). Metabolite concentration was calculated from the MRS signals and reported in "mM".

    Time frame: Baseline screening (Scan 1) and again after 2 weeks of Acamprosate treatment (Scan 2)

  9. Right Dorsal Lateral Prefrontal Cortex - N-acetylaspartate

    N-acetylaspartate (NAA) brain metabolite levels between those with and without a lifetime history of prior alcohol abuse/dependence in the Right Dorsal Lateral Prefrontal Cortex (R DLPFC) using Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS). Metabolite concentration was calculated from the MRS signals and reported in "mM".

    Time frame: Baseline screening (Scan 1) and again after 2 weeks of Acamprosate treatment (Scan 2)

  10. Right Dorsal Lateral Prefrontal Cortex - Myo-inositol

    Myo-inositol brain metabolite levels between those with and without a lifetime history of prior alcohol abuse/dependence in the Right Dorsal Lateral Prefrontal Cortex (R DLPFC) using Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS). Metabolite concentration was calculated from the MRS signals and reported in "mM".

    Time frame: Baseline screening (Scan 1) and again after 2 weeks of Acamprosate treatment (Scan 2)

  11. Left Dorsal Lateral Prefrontal Cortex - Choline

    Choline brain metabolite levels between those with and without a lifetime history of prior alcohol abuse/dependence in the Left Dorsal Lateral Prefrontal Cortex (L DLPFC) using Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS). Metabolite concentration was calculated from the MRS signals and reported in "mM".

    Time frame: Baseline screening (Scan 1) and again after 2 weeks of Acamprosate treatment (Scan 2)

  12. Left Dorsal Lateral Prefrontal Cortex - Creatinine

    Creatinine brain metabolite levels between those with and without a lifetime history of prior alcohol abuse/dependence in the Left Dorsal Lateral Prefrontal Cortex (L DLPFC) using Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS). Metabolite concentration was calculated from the MRS signals and reported in "mM".

    Time frame: Baseline screening (Scan 1) and again after 2 weeks of Acamprosate treatment (Scan 2)

  13. Left Dorsal Lateral Prefrontal Cortex - Glutamate

    Glutamate brain metabolite levels between those with and without a lifetime history of prior alcohol abuse/dependence in the Left Dorsal Lateral Prefrontal Cortex (L DLPFC) using Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS). Metabolite concentration was calculated from the MRS signals and reported in "mM".

    Time frame: Baseline screening (Scan 1) and again after 2 weeks of Acamprosate treatment (Scan 2)

  14. Left Dorsal Lateral Prefrontal Cortex - N-acetylaspartate

    N-acetylaspartate (NAA) brain metabolite levels between those with and without a lifetime history of prior alcohol abuse/dependence in the Left Dorsal Lateral Prefrontal Cortex (L DLPFC) using Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS). Metabolite concentration was calculated from the MRS signals and reported in "mM".

    Time frame: Baseline screening (Scan 1) and again after 2 weeks of Acamprosate treatment (Scan 2)

  15. Left Dorsal Lateral Prefrontal Cortex - Myo-inositol

    Myo-inositol brain metabolite levels between those with and without a lifetime history of prior alcohol abuse/dependence in the Left Dorsal Lateral Prefrontal Cortex (L DLPFC) using Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS). Metabolite concentration was calculated from the MRS signals and reported in "mM".

    Time frame: Baseline screening (Scan 1) and again after 2 weeks of Acamprosate treatment (Scan 2)

  16. Fractional Anisotropy Measured With Diffusion Tensor Imaging

    Diffusion Tensor Imaging Frational Anisotropy (FA) Measures by Lifetime History of Alcohol Abuse/Dependence and Brain Hemisphere.

    Time frame: Completion of two scans

Secondary outcomes

  1. BPRS - Symptoms of Psychosis Change in Scores

    Symptoms of psychosis were measured with the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS). The items rated for psychosis are "Conceptual Disorganization", "Suspiciousness", "Hallucinatory Behavior", and "Unusual Thought Content". Each item score ranges from "1=Not Present" to "7=Very Severe". Value at End of Study minus value at Baseline.

    Time frame: Baseline (Treatment Week 0) and End of Study (Treatment Week 2)

  2. BPRS - Symptoms of Psychosis Total Score

    The psychosis total score is calculated by adding the scores for scales #4 Conceptual Disorganization, #11 Suspiciousness, #12 Hallucinatory Behavior, and #15 Unusual Thought Content. Each scale ranges from "1=Not Present" to "7=Very Severe". The minimum psychosis score is 4 and the maximum psychosis score is 28. A higher score indicates a more severe psychosis rating.

    Time frame: Baseline (Treatment Week 0) and End of Study (Treatment Week 2)

  3. SANS - Negative Symptoms of Schizophrenia Total Score

    Negative symptoms of schizophrenia measured using the Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms (SANS) Total Score. SANS total score range = 0-85. Higher scores indicate more severe negative symptoms.

    Time frame: Baseline (Treatment Week 0) and End of Study (Treatment Week 2)

  4. Cognitive Impairment

    Cognitive tests will include the DigitSymbol Test (evaluating processing speed), California Verbal Learning Test (CVLT; evaluating verbal learning and episodic memory), and NBack (evaluating working memory). Digit Symbol scaled scores range from 1 to 19, with the larger numbers indicating better performance. On the CVLT, the delayed recognition score ranges from 0 to 16, with the larger numbers indicating better performance. On the NBack test, subjects were asked to recall items 0-back, 1-back, and 2-back in a sequence. D-prime scores range from 0 to 8.6. Higher scores are better. As memory load increases from 0 to 1, from 1 to 2, D-prime scores are expected to be lower.

    Time frame: Change from Baseline (Treatment Week 0) to End of Study (Treatment Week 2)

07

Results

Posted Jan 23, 2018

Participant flow

Participant flow — Overall Study
MilestoneSingle Arm
Started36
Completed28
Not completed8
Withdrew: Withdrawal by subject2
Withdrew: Physician decision5
Withdrew: Lost to follow-up1

Outcome measures

PrimaryAnterior Cingulate Cortex - Choline

Choline brain metabolite levels between those with and without a lifetime history of prior alcohol abuse/dependence in the Anterior Cingulate Cortex (ACC) using Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS). Metabolite concentration was calculated from the MRS signals and reported in "mM".

Time frame:
Baseline screening (Scan 1) and again after 2 weeks of Acamprosate treatment (Scan 2)
Reported as:
Mean · mM
Anterior Cingulate Cortex - Choline
mMETOH AbuseNo ETOH Abuse
Scan 11.64 ± 0.201.54 ± 0.26
Scan 21.46 ± 0.181.58 ± 0.26
Difference-0.10 ± 0.120.04 ± 0.19
PrimaryAnterior Cingulate Cortex - Creatinine

Creatinine brain metabolite levels between those with and without a lifetime history of prior alcohol abuse/dependence in the Anterior Cingulate Cortex (ACC) using Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS). Metabolite concentration was calculated from the MRS signals and reported in "mM".

Time frame:
Baseline screening (Scan 1) and again after 2 weeks of Acamprosate treatment (Scan 2)
Reported as:
Mean · mM
Anterior Cingulate Cortex - Creatinine
mMETOH AbuseNo ETOH Abuse
Scan 15.46 ± 0.615.12 ± 0.81
Scan 25.09 ± 0.545.16 ± 0.74
Difference-0.14 ± 0.310.07 ± 0.39
PrimaryAnterior Cingulate Cortex - Glutamate

Glutamate brain metabolite levels between those with and without a lifetime history of prior alcohol abuse/dependence in the Anterior Cingulate Cortex (ACC) using Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS). Metabolite concentration was calculated from the MRS signals and reported in "mM".

Time frame:
Baseline screening (Scan 1) and again after 2 weeks of Acamprosate treatment (Scan 2)
Reported as:
Mean · mM
Anterior Cingulate Cortex - Glutamate
mMETOH AbuseNo ETOH Abuse
Scan 17.44 ± 0.656.68 ± 1.86
Scan 27.06 ± 0.787.05 ± 2.02
Difference-0.25 ± 0.910.26 ± 1.28
PrimaryAnterior Cingulate Cortex - N-acetylaspartate

N-acetylaspartate (NAA) brain metabolite levels between those with and without a lifetime history of prior alcohol abuse/dependence in the Anterior Cingulate Cortex (ACC) using Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS). Metabolite concentration was calculated from the MRS signals and reported in "mM".

Time frame:
Baseline screening (Scan 1) and again after 2 weeks of Acamprosate treatment (Scan 2)
Reported as:
Mean · mM
Anterior Cingulate Cortex - N-acetylaspartate
mMETOH AbuseNo ETOH Abuse
Scan 16.40 ± 0.525.99 ± 1.11
Scan 26.06 ± 0.596.14 ± 0.86
Difference-0.23 ± 0.350.15 ± 0.53
PrimaryAnterior Cingulate Cortex - Myo-inositol

Myo-inositol brain metabolite levels between those with and without a lifetime history of prior alcohol abuse/dependence in the Anterior Cingulate Cortex (ACC) using Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS). Metabolite concentration was calculated from the MRS signals and reported in "mM".

Time frame:
Baseline screening (Scan 1) and again after 2 weeks of Acamprosate treatment (Scan 2)
Reported as:
Mean · mM
Anterior Cingulate Cortex - Myo-inositol
mMETOH AbuseNo ETOH Abuse
Scan 14.34 ± 0.534.00 ± 1.34
Scan 24.00 ± 0.674.35 ± 0.81
Difference-0.17 ± 0.460.20 ± 0.46
PrimaryRight Dorsal Lateral Prefrontal Cortex - Choline

Choline brain metabolite levels between those with and without a lifetime history of prior alcohol abuse/dependence in the Right Dorsal Lateral Prefrontal Cortex (R DLPFC) using Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS). Metabolite concentration was calculated from the MRS signals and reported in "mM".

Time frame:
Baseline screening (Scan 1) and again after 2 weeks of Acamprosate treatment (Scan 2)
Reported as:
Mean · mM
Right Dorsal Lateral Prefrontal Cortex - Choline
mMETOH AbuseNo ETOH Abuse
Scan 11.36 ± 0.291.30 ± 0.29
Scan 21.32 ± 0.171.71 ± 1.11
Difference0.06 ± 0.160.40 ± 1.20
PrimaryRight Dorsal Lateral Prefrontal Cortex - Creatinine

Creatinine brain metabolite levels between those with and without a lifetime history of prior alcohol abuse/dependence in the Right Dorsal Lateral Prefrontal Cortex (R DLPFC) using Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS). Metabolite concentration was calculated from the MRS signals and reported in "mM".

Time frame:
Baseline screening (Scan 1) and again after 2 weeks of Acamprosate treatment (Scan 2)
Reported as:
Mean · mM
Right Dorsal Lateral Prefrontal Cortex - Creatinine
mMETOH AbuseNo ETOH Abuse
Scan 15.51 ± 0.615.48 ± 0.92
Scan 25.52 ± 0.515.54 ± 0.70
Difference0.27 ± 0.640.11 ± 0.76
PrimaryRight Dorsal Lateral Prefrontal Cortex - Glutamate

Glutamate brain metabolite levels between those with and without a lifetime history of prior alcohol abuse/dependence in the Right Dorsal Lateral Prefrontal Cortex (R DLPFC) using Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS). Metabolite concentration was calculated from the MRS signals and reported in "mM".

Time frame:
Baseline screening (Scan 1) and again after 2 weeks of Acamprosate treatment (Scan 2)
Reported as:
Mean · mM
Right Dorsal Lateral Prefrontal Cortex - Glutamate
mMETOH AbuseNo ETOH Abuse
Scan 16.89 ± 1.107.51 ± 2.00
Scan 26.63 ± 1.037.15 ± 0.92
Difference-0.44 ± 1.52-0.69 ± 1.90
PrimaryRight Dorsal Lateral Prefrontal Cortex - N-acetylaspartate

N-acetylaspartate (NAA) brain metabolite levels between those with and without a lifetime history of prior alcohol abuse/dependence in the Right Dorsal Lateral Prefrontal Cortex (R DLPFC) using Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS). Metabolite concentration was calculated from the MRS signals and reported in "mM".

Time frame:
Baseline screening (Scan 1) and again after 2 weeks of Acamprosate treatment (Scan 2)
Reported as:
Mean · mM
Right Dorsal Lateral Prefrontal Cortex - N-acetylaspartate
mMETOH AbuseNo ETOH Abuse
Scan 17.43 ± 0.787.65 ± 1.03
Scan 27.65 ± 0.548.15 ± 1.24
Difference0.35 ± 0.780.42 ± 0.96
PrimaryRight Dorsal Lateral Prefrontal Cortex - Myo-inositol

Myo-inositol brain metabolite levels between those with and without a lifetime history of prior alcohol abuse/dependence in the Right Dorsal Lateral Prefrontal Cortex (R DLPFC) using Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS). Metabolite concentration was calculated from the MRS signals and reported in "mM".

Time frame:
Baseline screening (Scan 1) and again after 2 weeks of Acamprosate treatment (Scan 2)
Reported as:
Mean · mM
Right Dorsal Lateral Prefrontal Cortex - Myo-inositol
mMETOH AbuseNo ETOH Abuse
Scan 13.73 ± 0.723.71 ± 0.43
Scan 23.41 ± 0.433.44 ± 0.68
Difference-0.17 ± 0.66-0.24 ± 0.76
PrimaryLeft Dorsal Lateral Prefrontal Cortex - Choline

Choline brain metabolite levels between those with and without a lifetime history of prior alcohol abuse/dependence in the Left Dorsal Lateral Prefrontal Cortex (L DLPFC) using Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS). Metabolite concentration was calculated from the MRS signals and reported in "mM".

Time frame:
Baseline screening (Scan 1) and again after 2 weeks of Acamprosate treatment (Scan 2)
Reported as:
Mean · mM
Left Dorsal Lateral Prefrontal Cortex - Choline
mMETOH AbuseNo ETOH Abuse
Scan 11.53 ± 0.361.53 ± 0.23
Scan 21.57 ± 0.201.65 ± 0.21
Difference0.05 ± 0.240.10 ± 0.23
PrimaryLeft Dorsal Lateral Prefrontal Cortex - Creatinine

Creatinine brain metabolite levels between those with and without a lifetime history of prior alcohol abuse/dependence in the Left Dorsal Lateral Prefrontal Cortex (L DLPFC) using Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS). Metabolite concentration was calculated from the MRS signals and reported in "mM".

Time frame:
Baseline screening (Scan 1) and again after 2 weeks of Acamprosate treatment (Scan 2)
Reported as:
Mean · mM
Left Dorsal Lateral Prefrontal Cortex - Creatinine
mMETOH AbuseNo ETOH Abuse
Scan 15.38 ± 0.845.78 ± 0.64
Scan 25.43 ± 1.135.86 ± 0.53
Difference0.15 ± 0.820.11 ± 0.55
PrimaryLeft Dorsal Lateral Prefrontal Cortex - Glutamate

Glutamate brain metabolite levels between those with and without a lifetime history of prior alcohol abuse/dependence in the Left Dorsal Lateral Prefrontal Cortex (L DLPFC) using Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS). Metabolite concentration was calculated from the MRS signals and reported in "mM".

Time frame:
Baseline screening (Scan 1) and again after 2 weeks of Acamprosate treatment (Scan 2)
Reported as:
Mean · mM
Left Dorsal Lateral Prefrontal Cortex - Glutamate
mMETOH AbuseNo ETOH Abuse
Scan 17.45 ± 1.216.98 ± 1.07
Scan 26.86 ± 1.036.92 ± 0.55
Difference-0.50 ± 1.360.03 ± 1.32
PrimaryLeft Dorsal Lateral Prefrontal Cortex - N-acetylaspartate

N-acetylaspartate (NAA) brain metabolite levels between those with and without a lifetime history of prior alcohol abuse/dependence in the Left Dorsal Lateral Prefrontal Cortex (L DLPFC) using Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS). Metabolite concentration was calculated from the MRS signals and reported in "mM".

Time frame:
Baseline screening (Scan 1) and again after 2 weeks of Acamprosate treatment (Scan 2)
Reported as:
Mean · mM
Left Dorsal Lateral Prefrontal Cortex - N-acetylaspartate
mMETOH AbuseNo ETOH Abuse
Scan 17.22 ± 0.997.50 ± 0.87
Scan 27.44 ± 1.258.04 ± 1.68
Difference0.25 ± 0.770.16 ± 0.91
PrimaryLeft Dorsal Lateral Prefrontal Cortex - Myo-inositol

Myo-inositol brain metabolite levels between those with and without a lifetime history of prior alcohol abuse/dependence in the Left Dorsal Lateral Prefrontal Cortex (L DLPFC) using Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS). Metabolite concentration was calculated from the MRS signals and reported in "mM".

Time frame:
Baseline screening (Scan 1) and again after 2 weeks of Acamprosate treatment (Scan 2)
Reported as:
Mean · mM
Left Dorsal Lateral Prefrontal Cortex - Myo-inositol
mMETOH AbuseNo ETOH Abuse
Scan 13.69 ± 0.793.61 ± 0.69
Scan 23.34 ± 0.644.08 ± 0.91
Difference-0.08 ± 0.970.51 ± 0.72
PrimaryFractional Anisotropy Measured With Diffusion Tensor Imaging

Diffusion Tensor Imaging Frational Anisotropy (FA) Measures by Lifetime History of Alcohol Abuse/Dependence and Brain Hemisphere.

Time frame:
Completion of two scans
Reported as:
Mean · FA
Fractional Anisotropy Measured With Diffusion Tensor Imaging
FAETOH AbuseNo ETOH Abuse
Right hemisphere0.63 ± 0.030.61 ± 0.05
Left hemisphere0.59 ± 0.040.57 ± 0.04
SecondaryBPRS - Symptoms of Psychosis Change in Scores

Symptoms of psychosis were measured with the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS). The items rated for psychosis are "Conceptual Disorganization", "Suspiciousness", "Hallucinatory Behavior", and "Unusual Thought Content". Each item score ranges from "1=Not Present" to "7=Very Severe". Value at End of Study minus value at Baseline.

Time frame:
Baseline (Treatment Week 0) and End of Study (Treatment Week 2)
Reported as:
Mean · units on a scale
BPRS - Symptoms of Psychosis Change in Scores
units on a scaleETOH AbuseNo ETOH Abuse
Conceptual Disorganization Change-0.182 ± 0.6030.0 ± 0.730
Suspiciousness Change-0.636 ± 2.111-0.532 ± 1.209
Hallucinations Change-0.0909 ± 1.7581-0.6250 ± 1.3102
Unusual Thought Content Change-0.0909 ± 1.1362-0.1250 ± 0.7188
SecondaryBPRS - Symptoms of Psychosis Total Score

The psychosis total score is calculated by adding the scores for scales #4 Conceptual Disorganization, #11 Suspiciousness, #12 Hallucinatory Behavior, and #15 Unusual Thought Content. Each scale ranges from "1=Not Present" to "7=Very Severe". The minimum psychosis score is 4 and the maximum psychosis score is 28. A higher score indicates a more severe psychosis rating.

Time frame:
Baseline (Treatment Week 0) and End of Study (Treatment Week 2)
Reported as:
Mean · units on a scale
BPRS - Symptoms of Psychosis Total Score
units on a scaleETOH AbuseNo ETOH Abuse
Baseline8.88 ± 3.779.47 ± 4.45
End of study8.82 ± 4.148.38 ± 4.16
Change-1.00 ± 3.95-1.31 ± 2.33
SecondarySANS - Negative Symptoms of Schizophrenia Total Score

Negative symptoms of schizophrenia measured using the Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms (SANS) Total Score. SANS total score range = 0-85. Higher scores indicate more severe negative symptoms.

Time frame:
Baseline (Treatment Week 0) and End of Study (Treatment Week 2)
Reported as:
Mean · units on a scale
SANS - Negative Symptoms of Schizophrenia Total Score
units on a scaleETOH AbuseNo ETOH Abuse
Baseline23.50 ± 10.7326.12 ± 9.14
End of study24.18 ± 12.0926.38 ± 9.49
Change2.091 ± 8.384-0.375 ± 6.407
SecondaryCognitive Impairment

Cognitive tests will include the DigitSymbol Test (evaluating processing speed), California Verbal Learning Test (CVLT; evaluating verbal learning and episodic memory), and NBack (evaluating working memory). Digit Symbol scaled scores range from 1 to 19, with the larger numbers indicating better performance. On the CVLT, the delayed recognition score ranges from 0 to 16, with the larger numbers indicating better performance. On the NBack test, subjects were asked to recall items 0-back, 1-back, and 2-back in a sequence. D-prime scores range from 0 to 8.6. Higher scores are better. As memory load increases from 0 to 1, from 1 to 2, D-prime scores are expected to be lower.

Time frame:
Change from Baseline (Treatment Week 0) to End of Study (Treatment Week 2)
Reported as:
Mean · units on a scale
Cognitive Impairment
units on a scaleETOH AbuseNo ETOH Abuse
Change in NBack 0-Back Total Hits0.000 ± 1.8860.214 ± 1.188
Change in NBack 1-Back Total Hits0.60 ± 3.201.14 ± 3.42
Change in NBack 2-Back Total Hits1.70 ± 2.411.71 ± 3.27
Change in DigitSymbol Scaled Score-0.20 ± 1.030.00 ± 1.30
Change in CVLT Total Recall-0.600 ± 1.955-0.143 ± 1.956

Adverse events

Collected over Overall study of 6 weeks.. Non-serious events are listed at a 0% frequency threshold.

Adverse event summary by group
GroupDeathsSeriousOther
Single Arm—0/36 (0%)6/36 (16.7%)
Most frequent other events
Most frequent other events
EventSingle Arm
DiarrheaGastrointestinal disorders3/36
Perceived increase in essential tremorNervous system disorders1/36
Claustrophobia in MRI scanPsychiatric disorders1/36
InsomniaGeneral disorders1/36
RestlessnessGeneral disorders1/36
StiffnessMusculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders1/36

Baseline characteristics

Age, Categorical
Age, Categorical(Participants)Baseline Screening
<=18 years0
Between 18 and 65 years28
>=65 years0
Age, Continuous
Age, Continuous(years)Baseline Screening
Mean44 ± 9.2
Sex: Female, Male
Sex: Female, Male(Participants)Baseline Screening
Female11
Male25
Ethnicity (NIH/OMB)
Ethnicity (NIH/OMB)(Participants)Baseline Screening
Hispanic or Latino2
Not Hispanic or Latino34
Unknown or Not Reported0
Race (NIH/OMB)
Race (NIH/OMB)(Participants)Baseline Screening
American Indian or Alaska Native1
Asian0
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander0
Black or African American20
White12
More than one race3
Unknown or Not Reported0
Region of Enrollment
Region of Enrollment(participants)Baseline Screening
United States36
Alcohol Abuse History
Alcohol Abuse History(participants)Baseline Screening
Present16
Absent18
Missing2
08

Study locations

4 sites
  • VA Maryland Health Care System
    Baltimore, Maryland 21201, United States
  • Keypoint Community Mental Health Centers- Dundalk
    Baltimore, Maryland 21222, United States
  • Keypoint Community Mental Health Centers- Catonsville
    Baltimore, Maryland 21228, United States
  • Maryland Psychiatric Research Center
    Baltimore, Maryland 21228, United States
09

References and documents

10

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Sep 25, 2019, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
11

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT00688324
Lead sponsor
University of Maryland, Baltimore
Collaborators
National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
Responsible party
Robert Buchanan (Chief, Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Outpatient Research Program, University of Maryland, Baltimore) — Principal investigator
First posted
Jun 2, 2008
Start date
Jun 2008
Primary completion
Feb 2012
Completion
Feb 2012
Results posted
Jan 23, 2018
Last update
Sep 25, 2019

Study contacts

Bernard A Fischer, M.D.
principal investigator · Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
Yes
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

Not currently enrolling

This study is completed, as verified in Sep 2019. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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