Anticholinergic Deprescription in Schizophrenia

NCT ID: NCT06562608

Last Updated: 2025-02-10

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

Get a concise snapshot of the trial, including recruitment status, study phase, enrollment targets, and key timeline milestones.

Recruitment Status

RECRUITING

Clinical Phase

PHASE4

Total Enrollment

105 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2025-02-01

Study Completion Date

2029-06-30

Brief Summary

Review the sponsor-provided synopsis that highlights what the study is about and why it is being conducted.

In this study, the investigators will examine whether a deprescription of unnecessary anticholinergic drugs (benztropine or trihexyphenidyl) can augment quality of life, functioning, and neurocognition in individuals who with schizophrenia. Individuals identified by clinical services who have unneeded prescriptions benztropine or trihexyphenidyl will be eligible for deprescription and study entry. Following a baseline evaluation and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), participants will will be randomized to either staying on their anticholinergic drugs or undergoing deprescription per routine clinical care, and will undergo follow-up evaluations across 6 months. The investigators predict that reducing and deprescribing these drug, if clinically determined to be unnecessary will will enhance functioning, neurocognition

Detailed Description

Dive into the extended narrative that explains the scientific background, objectives, and procedures in greater depth.

Conditions

See the medical conditions and disease areas that this research is targeting or investigating.

Schizophrenia Schizoaffective Disorder

Study Design

Understand how the trial is structured, including allocation methods, masking strategies, primary purpose, and other design elements.

Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

DOUBLE

Investigators Outcome Assessors

Study Groups

Review each arm or cohort in the study, along with the interventions and objectives associated with them.

Anticholinergic Deprescription

In this arm, clinically determined unneeded benztropine or trihexyphenidyl will be deprescribed, per routine care by clinical providers.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Anticholinergic Deprescription

Intervention Type DRUG

per routine clinical care, people in the active arm of the study will undergo deprescription of benztropine or trihexyphenidyl per routine clinical care.

No Anticholinergic Deprescription

In this arm, no deprescription of benztropine or trihexyphenidyl will occur.

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

No Anticholinergic Deprescription

Intervention Type DRUG

In this arm, no deprescription of benztropine or trihexyphenidyl will occur.

Healthy Controls

In this arm, a healthy control group with minimal anticholinergic burden will be examined longitudinally.

Group Type NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

Interventions

Learn about the drugs, procedures, or behavioral strategies being tested and how they are applied within this trial.

Anticholinergic Deprescription

per routine clinical care, people in the active arm of the study will undergo deprescription of benztropine or trihexyphenidyl per routine clinical care.

Intervention Type DRUG

No Anticholinergic Deprescription

In this arm, no deprescription of benztropine or trihexyphenidyl will occur.

Intervention Type DRUG

Eligibility Criteria

Check the participation requirements, including inclusion and exclusion rules, age limits, and whether healthy volunteers are accepted.

Inclusion Criteria

1. Primary DSM-defined diagnosis of schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder verified by the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 (SCID).
2. Prescription of benztropine or trihexyphenidyl for at least 6 months
3. Age 40-70 years.
4. ACBS score \>= 3.
5. Mild or absent extrapyramidal symptoms (Determined by clinical pharmacists and prescribers).
6. Competency and willingness to sign informed consent.


1. Age 40-70 years.
2. Competency and willingness to sign informed consent.

Exclusion Criteria

1. Serious anticholinergic side-effects (e.g., fever, blurred vision) indicative of a need for immediate removal of anticholinergics,
2. Serious neurologic or medical condition/treatment that impacts the brain and Neurodegenerative conditions such as Parkinson's, dementia, etc.; autoimmune conditions such as Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and lupus; as well as traumatic brain injury (TBI).
3. Significant risk of suicidal or homicidal behavior.
4. Cognitive or language limitations, or any other factor that would preclude subjects providing informed consent.
5. Contraindications for MR imaging (e.g., a pacemaker).
6. Current SCID-verified substance use disorder will be excluded to avoid the confounding impact of significant substance use comorbidity. Participants with a history of substance use disorder that is in early or full remission will be eligible, to enhance generalizability.
7. Patients concurrently treated with electroconvulsive therapy will be excluded because of its effects on cognition.


1. No history of psychotic illness and no active Axis I disorder as determined by clinical interview using the SCID-NP.
2. Score greater than 1 on the ACB scale.
3. MR imaging contraindications.
4. Neurologic conditions, any serious non-psychiatric disorder that could affect brain functioning, or intellectual disability.
5. HC with family history of psychosis will be excluded, as such individuals show subtle, but significant cognitive and neurobiological abnormalities.
6. Individuals currently taking anticholinergic medications for reasons other than SSD.
Minimum Eligible Age

40 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

70 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sponsors

Meet the organizations funding or collaborating on the study and learn about their roles.

National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

NIH

Sponsor Role collaborator

Deepak K. Sarpal, M.D.

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

Identify the individual or organization who holds primary responsibility for the study information submitted to regulators.

Deepak K. Sarpal, M.D.

Associate Professor

Responsibility Role SPONSOR_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Learn about the lead researchers overseeing the trial and their institutional affiliations.

Deepak K Sarpal, M.D.

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

University of Pittsburgh

Locations

Explore where the study is taking place and check the recruitment status at each participating site.

UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital/University of Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States

Site Status RECRUITING

Countries

Review the countries where the study has at least one active or historical site.

United States

Central Contacts

Reach out to these primary contacts for questions about participation or study logistics.

Deepak K Sarpal, M.D.

Role: CONTACT

4122465618

Shaun M. Eack, Ph.D.

Role: CONTACT

412.648.9029

Facility Contacts

Find local site contact details for specific facilities participating in the trial.

Tori Blazinski

Role: primary

Other Identifiers

Review additional registry numbers or institutional identifiers associated with this trial.

R01MH135096

Identifier Type: NIH

Identifier Source: secondary_id

View Link

STUDY24050090

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

More Related Trials

Additional clinical trials that may be relevant based on similarity analysis.

Trial of D-Cycloserine in Schizophrenia
NCT00000371 COMPLETED PHASE3