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SchizophreniaFEPNCT01926340

Early Medication Discontinuation and Long-term Clinical Outcome in FEP

An observational study of Schizophrenia, run by Professor Eric Y.H. Chen at 1 site in Hong Kong.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

The study aims to examine the relationship between early maintenance therapy decisions in first episode psychosis, and the subsequent long-term clinical outcome at 9-10 years by comparing a group of patients who were randomized to discontinue (placebo) or continue medication (quetiapine) in the early stage of their… Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 to 65 years
Conditions the study is for
Schizophrenia
How many people
178 participants
Where
1 siteHong Kong
Study dates
Nov 2013to Mar 2015
Phase
Observational
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 18 to 65 years
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Study population: Trained research assistants will approach patients at their upcoming out-patient consultations to introduce the follow-up study and to obtain written informed consent. Those who are not active cases in the Hong Kong Hospital Authority (HA) system will be invited by letter and telephone to participate in the study.

Who may be able to join

  • A diagnosis of schizophrenia or non-affective psychosis (schizophreniform disorder, schizoaffective disorder, brief psychotic disorder, or psychosis not otherwise specified) (DSM-IV)
  • Aged 18 to 65 years
  • Had been treated with antipsychotic drugs for at least 12 months
  • No history of relapse or exacerbation or had to be asymptomatic (free of positive symptoms of psychosis) at study entry.

Who cannot join

  • A diagnosis of drug-induced psychosis
  • Current treatment with clozapine, with mood stabilizing medications (lithium, valproate or carbamazepine) or with depot medication
  • Had high risk of suicide or violence
  • Had poor adherence to treatment (missing>50% of drug, >50% missed clinic visits, or a history of medication discontinuation)

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

Hong Kong1 site
  • Research Site

    Hong Kong

Other trials in Hong Kong

About this study

Official title: The Impact of Early Medication Discontinuation on Long-term Clinical Outcome in First Episode Psychosis

The study aims to examine the relationship between early maintenance therapy decisions in first episode psychosis, and the subsequent long-term clinical outcome at 9-10 years by comparing a group of patients who were randomized to discontinue (placebo) or continue medication (quetiapine) in the early stage of their psychotic disorders.

Read the detailed description

Design: This is a follow up or extension to the double-blind randomized placebo-controlled 12-month study (Chen et al., BMJ 2010;341:C4024-4). At any point during the 12-month study, patients who had relapsed or discontinued would stop the study medication (quetiapine or placebo) and that would be the end point of the randomized phase of the study. After completion of the randomized phase, patients will receive clinical guideline-based, open-label treatment. Trained research assistants will approach patients at their upcoming out-patient consultations to introduce the follow-up study and to obtain their written informed consent.

Data analysis plan \& handling of missing outcome data: Statistical analyses will be carried out according to the intention-to-treat principle. The primary outcome measure of the long-term clinical outcomes (suicide, clozapine treatment, persistent positive symptoms) between the groups randomized to early treatment discontinuation (placebo) or maintenance treatment (quetiapine) will be compared using risk ratios [RR] and 95% confidence intervals [CI].

For all patients, long-term outcome assessments will include longitudinal chart review over the follow-up period indicating suicide or clozapine treatment. Positive symptom will be assessed at the 10-year face-to-face interview, or in the situations where this data is not available, will be based on the last positive symptom assessment from the randomized study. We will assess the possible effect of this approach by conducting sensitivity analyses, namely re-classifying patients with missing end-point interviews as either all good outcome, or all poor outcome. A mediation analysis will also carried out to examine whether the effects of the intervention on long-term outcome are linked to relapse during the randomized phase.

The secondary outcome measures of social and occupational functioning will be analysed using RR or independent t-tests. Standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) based on age-sex population mortality rate and age-sex suicide rate will also be calculated.

Conditions
Schizophrenia
Medical subject headings
Schizophrenia

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

Study groups in NCT01926340
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Early maintenance treatment groupDrug (quetiapine, 400mg/d) during the 12-month randomized phase of the study
Early discontinuation groupDrug (placebo) during the 12-month randomized phase of the study

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Poor clinical outcome

    Define categorically as any of: persistent positive symptoms of psychosis, requirement for clozapine or death from suicide.

    Good clinical outcome: meeting none of the criteria for Poor clinical outcome (as above)

    Measured: In one month previous to the final assessment

Secondary outcomes (1)
  1. Social and occupational functioning

    Define using employment status, social and occupational functioning score, and role functioning score

    Measured: In one month previous to the final assessment

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted20 Aug 2013 (estimated)
  2. Study startNov 2013
  3. Primary completionDec 2014
  4. Study completionMar 2015

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Observational
Observational model
Case-control
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrolment
178 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT01926340
Sponsor's protocol ID
RPS FU study
Acronym
FEP
Status last verified
Aug 2017
First submitted
2 Jul 2013
Last updated
7 Aug 2017
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
Yes

Publications

  • Hui CLM, Honer WG, Lee EHM, Chang WC, Chan SKW, Chen ESM, Pang EPF, Lui SSY, Chung DWS, Yeung WS, Ng RMK, Lo WTL, Jones PB, Sham P, Chen EYH. Long-term effects of discontinuation from antipsychotic maintenance following first-episode schizophrenia and related disorders: a 10 year follow-up of a randomised, double-blind trial. Lancet Psychiatry. 2018 May;5(5):432-442. doi: 10.1016/S2215-0366(18)30090-7. Epub 2018 Mar 15.

    PubMed 29551618

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

An observational study of Schizophrenia, run by Professor Eric Y.H. Chen at 1 site in Hong Kong.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 4 inclusion and 4 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 7 Aug 2017. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in Hong Kong. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Poor clinical outcome (time frame: In one month previous to the final assessment). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT01926340, which also lists 1 linked publication.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 7 Aug 2017.

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