Effects of Transdermal Nicotine on Response Inhibition to Emotional Cues in Schizophrenia

Summary

The purpose of this study is to test whether nicotine, a drug that activates receptors called nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in the brain, improves the ability to make or withhold responses to faces that are either emotionally neutral or emotionally negative. This study will also test whether the drug affects brain activity while making or withholding responses using electroencephalography. Previous studies in people with schizophrenia have shown that more errors in response to negative emotional cues are related to greater likelihood of impulsive aggressive behavior. Therefore, the aim of this study is to determine whether nicotine might be a new strategy to reduce aggressive behavior. The investigators' goal is 25 individuals with schizophrenia and 25 healthy controls to complete the study at Vanderbilt.

Timeline

Start

2019-05-10

Primary completion

2020-02-24

Completion

2020-02-24

Publications

• Background Krakowski MI, De Sanctis P, Foxe JJ, Hoptman MJ, Nolan K, Kamiel S, Czobor P. Disturbances in Response Inhibition and Emotional Processing as Potential Pathways to Violence in Schizophrenia: A High-Density Event-Related Potential Study. Schizophr Bull. 2016 Jul;42(4):963-74. doi: 10.1093/schbul/sbw005. Epub 2016 Feb 19.
• Background Egashira K, Matsuo K, Nakashima M, Watanuki T, Harada K, Nakano M, Matsubara T, Takahashi K, Watanabe Y. Blunted brain activation in patients with schizophrenia in response to emotional cognitive inhibition: a functional near-infrared spectroscopy study. Schizophr Res. 2015 Mar;162(1-3):196-204. doi: 10.1016/j.schres.2014.12.038. Epub 2015 Jan 13.
• Background Lewis AS, van Schalkwyk GI, Lopez MO, Volkmar FR, Picciotto MR, Sukhodolsky DG. An Exploratory Trial of Transdermal Nicotine for Aggression and Irritability in Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder. J Autism Dev Disord. 2018 Aug;48(8):2748-2757. doi: 10.1007/s10803-018-3536-7.

Drugs

Indications