Clinical Research Directory

Cognitive Strategies in Early Psychosis 2

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn more about decision making in psychosis spectrum disorders, like schizophrenia. Participants will be people who have had symptoms of a psychosis spectrum disorder start within the last five years. The investigators will study how two study agents change decision making in people with psychosis, by asking participants to complete some brain games on the computer before and after taking the study agents. The investigators hope to improve our understanding of psychosis to help people in the future. The main research questions are: * Does a single dose of modafinil change how people with psychosis play the brain games? * Does a single dose of d-serine change how people with psychosis play the brain games? * Does a single dose of modafinil change brain activity? * Does a single dose of d-serine change brain activity? Participants will: * Complete an interview and self-report questionnaires. * Complete safety screening activities, like a blood draw, a urine drug test, and an alcohol breathalyzer test. * Complete functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) scans. fMRI uses magnets to take pictures of the brain. There will be six scanning appointments in the study, with two scans each. Appointments will be about a month apart. * Take a single dose of a study agent during each scanning appointment. The study agent will be taken after the first fMRI. There are three study agents in total: modafinil, d-serine, and a placebo. Each participant will take each study agent twice during the study. * Play brain games on a computer that measure decision making, thinking, and problem solving skills

Impact of Medication Education on Adherence and Side Effects

Severe mental disorders such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and psychotic depression often require long-term or lifelong medication treatment. However, many psychiatric patients have difficulty adhering to their prescribed medication regimens due to factors such as lack of information, fear of side effects, and negative experiences with psychotropic medications. Poor treatment adherence is associated with symptom relapse, prolonged hospitalization, increased rehospitalization rates, reduced quality of life, and higher health care costs. Medication education is a key psychosocial intervention aimed at improving patients' understanding of their illness, treatment process, and potential medication side effects. Providing structured medication education may enhance treatment adherence and help patients recognize and manage side effects more effectively. This intervention study aims to evaluate the effect of a structured medication education program on treatment adherence and medication-related side effects among psychotic inpatients hospitalized in a psychiatric clinic, including patients diagnosed with schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, schizophreniform disorder, bipolar disorder with psychotic features, and major depressive disorder with psychotic features. The findings of this study are expected to contribute to the development of effective psychosocial interventions to improve medication adherence and treatment outcomes in psychiatric inpatient settings.