PECANS (Pan European Collaboration Antipsychotic-Naive Studies):
The PECANS projects are part of CINS. The over-all-goal of these projects is to contribute to the understanding of the different biological and environmental processes involved in the development of the different “schizophrenias” by linking neurochemical, morphological, information-processing, reward, and environmental explanations to each other in longitudinal studies of antipsychotic-naïve patients with first-episode schizophrenia – and patients at risk of developing schizophrenia. By this we hope to characterize scientifically valid composite endophenotypes that can form basis for more effective interventions. Additionally, we want to study the effects of specific interventions on these new scientifically based “subgroups” of schizophrenia. Since it is difficult to recruit and examine patients before they have been treated with antipsychotic medication, part of the data will be analyzed together with data from Utrecht and London.
Under the PECANS “umbrella”, the following 3 studies have been initiated in 2008, but additional studies are planned:
Project title: Reward disturbances in antipsychotic-naive first-episode schizophrenia patients: Pathophysiology (fMRI) and relation to psychopathology and treatment effect
Ph.D. student/clinical responsible: Mette Ødegaard Nielsen, MD (CNSR and MR Glostrup)
Status: Recruitment of patients and controls has started December 2008
Remarks: This study will only take place in Glostrup/the Capital Region in Denmark. It is a collaborative study between The Institute of Psychiatry London and CNSR, Glostrup. Structural MRI data will, however, be shared between Glostrup/the Capital Region in Denmark, London, and Utrecht. After the base-line examinations (involving psychopathology, functional and structural MRI, neurocognition, and psychophysiology) patients are treated with an atypical antipsychotic compound with selective affinity for dopamine receptors and good functional outcome in a recent large European study (the EUFEST study) (amisulpride) for 6 weeks before re-examinations. Patients who do not respond – or experience side-effects – will be offered treatment with another atypical antipsychotic drug with a different receptor-profile (olanzapine). Patients will be re-examined again after 6 and 12 months.
University Supervisor and project leader: Birte Glenthøj (CNSR Glostrup)
Co-supervisors: Shitij Kapur (Institute of Psychiatry, London) and Egill Rostrup (MR, Glostrup)
Project title: The relation between dopamine activity, reward- and information-processing disturbance and psychopathology: A longitudinal study of antipsychotic-naive first-episode schizophrenia patients
Ph.D. student/clinical responsible: Sanne Wulff, MD, Mette Ødegaard Nielsen, MD
Status: Recruitment of patients and controls started August 2009
Remarks: This study collaborates with the above mentioned study – and data will be shared between the Ph.D. students. It will only take place in Glostrup/the Capital Region in Denmark. It is a collaborative study between The Institute of Psychiatry London and CNSR, Glostrup. Structural MRI data will, however, be shared between Glostrup/the Capital Region in Denmark, London, and Utrecht. After the base-line examinations (involving psychopathology, SPECT, functional and structural MRI, neurocognition, and psychophysiology) patients are treated with an atypical antipsychotic compound with selective affinity for dopamine receptors and good functional outcome in a recent large European study (the EUFEST study) (amisulpride) for 6 weeks before re-examinations. Patients who do not respond – or experience side-effects – will be offered treatment with another atypical antipsychotic drug with a different receptor-profile (olanzapine). Patients will be re-examined again after 6 and 12 months.
University Supervisor and project leader: Birte Glenthøj (CNSR Glostrup)
Co-supervisors: Shitij Kapur (Institute of Psychiatry, London), Gitte Moos-Knudsen (NRU, RH) Hans Rasmussen (CNSR & CINS), Bob Oranje (CNSR & CINS), Birgitte Fagerlund (CNSR & CINS), Bjørn Ebdrup (CNSR & CINS)
Project title: To be decided. The study focus on changes in the HPA axis in patients at risk as well as antipsychotic-naïve first-episode schizophrenia patients
Ph.D. student/clinical responsible: Dorte Nordholm, MD, (BBH and MR Glostrup)
Remarks: The antipsychotic-naïve patients with first-episode schizophrenia will be recruited together with the two above mentioned studies, and the Ph.D. students will share data. The study involving prodromal patients is also part of the NEURAPRO-E study (North America, EURope, Australia PROdrome). The design of the NEURAPRO-E study is a randomized placebo controlled trial. All subjects will be offered cognitive behavioural case management and will be randomized at entry to either Placebo or Eicosapentanoic acid for 3 months. The main outcome measure is transition to first episode psychosis at 12-months post study entry.
Status: Recruitment started August 2009
University Supervisor and project leader: Merete Nordentoft (BBH, Copenhagen)
Co-supervisor: Birte Glenthøj (CNSR Glostrup), Paola Dazzan (IOP, London)
Intervention studies primarily focusing on Psychophysiological and Neurocognitive endophenotypes
Project title: PDE inhibitors: A new strategy for treatment of Schizophrenia?
Ph.D. student/clinical responsible: Mikkel Erlang Sørensen, M.Sc. (CNSR, Glostrup)
Remarks: Recruitment will start June 2010
University Supervisor: Bob Oranje
Co-supervisors: Birte Glenthøj and Christina Kruuse
Project title: The effect of age on psychophysiological measures
Clinical responsible: Mikkel Erlang Sørensen and Bob Oranje
Remarks: Recruitment on-going
Project title: Will a decrease in noradrenergic activity normalize disrupted information processing in patients with schizophrenia?
Clinical responsible: Katherina Alfsen, Research nurse, Gitte Saltoft Andersen, Head nurse, research, and Bob Oranje (project leader)
Remarks: Completed
Project title: Information-processing disturbances in adolescents with psychotic symptoms
Clinical responsible: Jacob Rydkjær, MD (BUP - BBH)
Remarks: Recruitment planned from January 2009
University Supervisor: Bob Oranje
Co-supervisors: Birte Glenthøj and Katrine Pagsberg (BUP- BBH)
Additional (ongoing) longitudinal studies on (at base-line) antipsychotic-naïve first-episode schizophrenia patients
These studies are not funded by CINS, but the data will be pooled with CINS data
Project title: Information Processing in Schizophrenia: A Longitudinal Study of First-Episode Antipsychotic-Naïve Schizophrenia Patients.
Ph.D. student/clinical responsible: Bodil Aggernæs, MD, Ph.D. (CNSR)
Remarks: Three manuscripts have been submitted in 2009 and the thesis has been handed in to the Faculty in March 2009. The data has been presented at several international meetings.
University Supervisor and project leader: Birte Glenthøj (CNSR)
Co-supervisors: Bob Oranje and Henrik Lublin
Project title: 5-HT2A receptor activity: Relation to psychopathology, cognition, and treatment effect in antipsychotic-naive first-episode patients with schizophrenia
Ph.D. student/clinical responsible: Hans Rasmussen, M.Sc., Ph.D. (CNSR - Glostrup and NRU - RH)
Remarks: One paper has been published (please see list of publications) and one submitted. Two further manuscripts will be submitted primo 2009 and the thesis handed in to the Faculty April 2009. The data has been presented at several international meetings.
University Supervisor and project leader: Birte Glenthøj (CNSR- Glostrup)
Co-supervisor: Gitte Moos Knudsen (NRU – RH)
Project title: Changes in brain structure in antipsychotic-naïve first-episode schizophrenia patients: Stability over time and relation to functional disturbances
Ph.D. student/clinical responsible: Bjørn H. Ebdrup, MD (CNSR - Glostrup and MR- Hvidovre)
Remarks: Several publications under preparation. The thesis will be handed in to the Faculty August 2009. The data has been presented at several international meetings.
University Supervisor and project leader: Birte Glenthøj (CNSR- Glostrup)
Co-supervisors: William Baaré (MR – Hvidovre) and Henrik Lublin (CNSR – Glostrup)
Project title: Neurocognitive disturbances as vulnerability markers for schizophrenia: Longitudinal studies on two cohorts of antipsychotic-naïve first-episode schizophrenia patients and their healthy siblings
Ph.D. student/clinical responsible: Rune Andersen, MA (CNSR - Glostrup and Institute of Psychology, University of Copenhagen)
Remarks: Several publications under preparation. The thesis is handed in to the Faculty primo 2010. The data has been presented at several international meetings.
University Supervisor: Anders Gade (Institute of Psychology, University of Copenhagen)
Co-supervisor and project leader: Birte Glenthøj (CNSR- Glostrup)
Other supervisors: Bob Oranje and Birgitte Fagerlund
Project title: Schizophrenia: Neurobiological and psychophysiological manifestations of the disease process
Ph.D. student/clinical responsible: Trine B. Hammer, MD (CNSR - Glostrup and MR- Hvidovre)
Remarks: Several publications under preparation. The thesis will be handed in to the Faculty primo 2010. The data has been presented at several international meetings.
University Supervisor and project leader: Birte Glenthøj (CNSR- Glostrup)
Co-supervisors: William Baaré (MR – Hvidovre) and Bob Oranje (CNSR – Glostrup)
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