The Cognitive and Negative Symptoms in Schizophrenia Trial (CONSIST): The Efficacy of Glutamatergic Agents for Negative Symptoms and Cognitive Impairments

• DOI: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2007.06081358
• Publication Date: 2007-09-26T22:18:03Z
• Authors: Robert W. Buchanan; Daniel C. Javitt; Stephen R. Marder; Nina R. Schooler; James M. Gold; Robert P. McMahon; Uriel Heresco-Levy; William T. Carpenter
• Keywords: Extrapyramidal symptoms

Patients with schizophrenia frequently present negative symptoms and cognitive impairments for which no effective treatments are known. Agents that act at the glycine site of N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA) glutamatergic receptor have been suggested as promising moderate to severe impairments.The Cognitive Negative Symptoms in Schizophrenia Trial (CONSIST) was a 16-week double-blind, double-dummy, parallel group, randomized clinical trial adjunctive glycine, D-cycloserine, or placebo conducted four sites United States one Israel. The participants were 157 inpatients outpatients who met DSM-IV criteria schizoaffective disorder retrospective prospective without marked positive, depressive, extrapyramidal symptoms. primary outcome measures average "rate change" Scale Assessment (SANS) total scores change domain z scores.There significant differences SANS score between subjects D-cycloserine subjects. A prespecified test site-by-treatment-by-time interaction post hoc tests. One had greater reduction patients receiving relative placebo. second compared patients. There on cognition score.The study results suggest neither nor is generally therapeutic option treating impairments.