Evaluation of Tolcapone as a Cognitive Enhancer in Schizophrenia

Summary

Objective: To assess the efficacy of tolcapone to improve cognition in schizophrenia, as a genotype-based targeted treatment of cognitive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia considering the polymorphism rs4680. Methodology: 20 patients with chronic and stabilized schizophrenia (10 patients with genotype Val/Val and 10 patients with genotype Met/Met according to polymorphism rs4680) will receive treatment with tolcapone during 7 days. The cognitive function and clinical status will be evaluated with a neuropsychological battery and appropriate clinical scales before and after treatment. The efficiency of the activation of the prefrontal cortex will be measured using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) before and after treatment. Hypothesis: Only patients with genotype Val/Val treated with tolcapone would show a cognitive improvement, a higher efficiency of the activation of the prefrontal cortex and an amelioration of some negative symptoms.

Timeline

Start

2014-09-22

Primary completion

2025-08

Completion

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Drugs

Indications