Project Summary

Stephania Bonaccorso, M.D. (Young Investigator 2005) of Vanderbilt University Medical Center, points out that divalproic acid (VPA) is commonly used as adjunctive treatment of antipsychotic drugs in the treatment of schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder, but that evidence to support the practice is minimal. Only one study shows a transient advantage in the rapidity of improvement in positive symptoms with VPA. Dr. Bonaccorso’s laboratory has found that the combination of low dose valproate, aripiprazole, risperidone, olanzapine, and other atypical antipsychotic drugs, or haloperidol, can markedly increase release of dopamine in prefrontal cortex, which has been linked to improvement in cognition in schizophrenia. Dr. Bonaccorso proposes a double-blind, placebo controlled, six-week study of the addition of low dose VPA in 60 patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder who have been treated with aripiprazole, risperidone or olanzapine for at least 3 months to assess the effect of VPA on cognition as well as psychopathology, as measured by a variety of psychiatric measures. A comprehensive battery of neurocognitive tests will be used to assess cognition.

Program Area: MULTIPLE FOCUS AREAS\Schizophrenia/Schizoaffective

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