Cannabidiol Treatment in Patients With Early Psychosis (CBD)

Cannabidiol (CBD) is a component of herbal cannabis that is present in varying concentrations in cannabis extracts. CBD has been shown to produce central effects including hypnotic, anticonvulsive, anxiolytic and neuroprotective effects.The investigators hypothesize that treatment with CBD will result in: 1) Improvement evidenced by a reduction in scores on the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale for Schizophrenia (PANSS), 2) Improvement evidenced by a reduction in the Clinical Global Impression of Severity scale (CGI); Secondary Hypothesis: 1) Greater improvement in functioning as measured on the "Patient Assessment of Own Functioning Inventory: (PAOFI) and the Quality of Life Scale (QLS) In this 2 period cross over design, subjects will be randomized in a 1:1 ratio to receive either: Order 1: CBD (Period 1) followed by placebo (Period 2) or Order 2: Placebo (Period 1) followed by CBD (Period 2) under double-blind conditions. The 2 study periods will be separated by a washout of at least 2 weeks. During each period subjects will receive study medications (CBD [total 800mg/day] or placebo) for a period of 4 weeks.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Schizophrenia; Schizoaffective Disorder
• Intervention / Treatment: Drug: Placebo; Drug: Cannabidiol

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 18
• Phase: Phase 2

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Connecticut
    • New Haven, Connecticut, United States, 06519
      • Connecticut Mental Health Center
    • West Haven, Connecticut, United States, 06516
      • VA Connecticut Healthcare System

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 65 years (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Male or female
• Primary psychotic disorder
• Ages 18-65 (inclusive)

Exclusion Criteria:

• Current significant medical condition or other comorbidities
• Current substance depdendence
• Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Crossover Assignment
• Masking: Quadruple

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Cannabidiol, then Placebo; The subject will receive treatment with cannabidiol (CBD)(800mg/day) for four weeks, followed by a two week washout period, followed by four weeks of placebo.	Drug: Placebo; Drug: Cannabidiol; Other Names: CBD
Experimental: Placebo, then Cannabidiol; The subject will receive placebo for four weeks, followed by a two week washout period, followed by four weeks of treatment with cannabidiol (CBD)(800mg/day).	Drug: Placebo; Drug: Cannabidiol; Other Names: CBD

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) Over Time	The Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale is a 30-item scale to assess both the positive and negative symptom symptoms of schizophrenia. The range total score is 30-210. An improvement in symptoms is reflected by a lower score.	Completed each time subject is seen over 10 weeks (screening, period 1 baseline, period 1 week 1, period 1 week 2, period 1 week 3, period 1 week 4, period 2 baseline, period 2 week 1, period 2 week 2, period 2 week 3, period 2 week 4)
Clinical Global Impression of Severity Scale Over Time	Clinical Global Impression of Severity Scale score is a global rating of improvement scale, which requires subjects to rate their degree of improvement on a 7-point scale. The total range score is 1-7. A reduction in scores indicates improvement.	Completed each time subject is seen over 10 weeks (screening, period 1 baseline, period 1 week 1, period 1 week 2, period 1 week 3, period 1 week 4, period 2 baseline, period 2 week 1, period 2 week 2, period 2 week 3, period 2 week 4)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Patient Assessment of Own Functioning Inventory (PAOFI) Over Time	The PAOFI measures subjects' perceptions of functioning when performing everyday tasks and activities that reflect cognitive strengths and weaknesses. Subjects rate each item on a scale ranging from 0 (almost never) to 5 (almost always). The total score is the sum of the responses to each item (score of 0 to 160). High scores on the PAOFI subscales are indicative of poor perceived cognitive functioning. This scale was modified to remove 3 items- so the highest possible score is 145 for this outcome measure.	Completed each time subject is seen over 10 weeks (screening, period 1 baseline, period 1 week 1, period 1 week 2, period 1 week 3, period 1 week 4, period 2 baseline, period 2 week 1, period 2 week 2, period 2 week 3, period 2 week 4)
Quality of Life Scale (QLS) Over Time	The Quality of Life Scale (QLS) is a 21-item scale rated from a semi structured interview, each item is rated 0-6. The specific descriptors vary among items, but the high end of the scales (scores of 5 and 6) reflects normal or unimpaired functioning, and the low end of the scales (scores of 0 and 1) reflects severe impairment of the function in question. A highest score of 126 would indicate unimpaired functioning.	Completed each time subject is seen over 10 weeks (screening, period 1 baseline, period 1 week 1, period 1 week 2, period 1 week 3, period 1 week 4, period 2 baseline, period 2 week 1, period 2 week 2, period 2 week 3, period 2 week 4)

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Yale University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): January 28, 2016
• Primary Completion (Actual): March 2, 2018
• Study Completion (Actual): March 9, 2018

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: July 17, 2015
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 20, 2015
• First Posted (Estimate): July 21, 2015

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): September 6, 2022
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 12, 2022
• Last Verified: August 1, 2022

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Mental Disorders; Schizophrenia Spectrum and Other Psychotic Disorders; Schizophrenia; Psychotic Disorders; Anticonvulsants; Cannabidiol
• Other Study ID Numbers: 1412015000