Effects of Smoking on Network Connectivity in Patients With Schizophrenia Symptoms in Scz Patients
Recruiting · NCT07441928 · Interventional (participants receive a specific treatment) · Lead sponsor: The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
View the official record on ClinicalTrials.gov →Interventions studied
What this trial is about
The prevalence of smoking among people with schizophrenia (SCZ) is substantially higher at 54% to 90% (McClave et al., 2010). About half of all deaths amongst people with scz are attributed to smoking-related diseases and cancer involving the lung, the cardiovascular system, and the liver (Kely et al., 2011; WHO, 2019). Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is effective for treating psychotic symptoms and addictive behaviours. In a local randomised controlled trial comparing individual ACT to social support for smoking cessation in adult scz smokers, the self-reported quit rates in ACT group were higher than in the social support group (6 months: 12.3% vs. 7.7%, p=0.56 ; 12 months: 10.8% vs. 7.7%, p=0.76; Mak, Loke, and Leung, 2021). In this study, functional neuroimaging (fMRI) will be combined with symptoms assessment in order to ascertain whether group-based ACT is effective in modifying the brain's responses in general and specifically to tobacco craving cues and resting-state functional connectivity in three time points (pre-, post-intervention, and 6-month follow-up) among people with schizophrenia.
Who can take part
Inclusion criteria
- Individuals who have been diagnosed with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder and after at least one-year followup;
- currently taking anti-psychotic medications for ≥ 3 months with good compliance;
- aged 18 years or above;
- able to communicate in Cantonese
Exclusion criteria
- Have any other current or past psychotic disorders;
- with fleeting or actual suicidal/self-harm ideations, or acting-out behavior in the past;
- with a known history of violence/aggression and a forensic history
- Categorized with special care or intensive care (e.g., arson, battery, physical assault, rape, murder, etc.)
- Have a lifetime history of substance abuse and/or are currently receiving treatment for substance abuse (e.g., opioids, cocaine, marijuana, or stimulants);
- With alcohol consumption exceeding 25 standard drinks/week for men and 20 standard drinks/week for women over the last 6 months;
- Have received a diagnosis of alcohol or drug dependence in the year preceding recruitment;
- Are pregnant, breast-feeding, or planning a pregnancy for the duration of the study;
- Have a history or current diagnosis of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD);
- Have a history of epilepsy or a seizure disorder;
- Experience disorientation, have developmental disabilities, and/or an organic mental disorder;
- fMRI-related exclusion criteria promulgated by University Research Facility in Behavioural and Systems Neuroscience (UBSN), PolyU
Where it is running
5 locations listed.
- Lok Hong Integrated Community Centre for Mental Wellness, Tung Wah Group of Hospitals - Hong Kong, Hong Kong
- Mental Health and Development, Christian Family Service Centre - Hong Kong, Hong Kong
- Out-patient Clinic (Psy), Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital - Hong Kong, Hong Kong
- The Mental Health Association of Hong Kong - Hong Kong, Hong Kong
- The Society of Rehabilitation and Crime Prevention - Hong Kong, Hong Kong