Correlation Between Clinical Deterioration in Schizophrenic Patients and Hair Cortisol Levels

Shalvata Mental Health Center

Status: Completed

Conditions: Schizophrenia; Schizo-Affective Disorder

Treatments: Biological: Hair Sample

Study type: Observational

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT01754532

SHA-12-0028

Details and patient eligibility

About

The importance of stress as a possible deteriorating factor for schizophrenic patients is well documented. However, this notion is based on subjective experience and retrospective psychological analysis.

A novel method of measuring cortisol using hair has a proven correlation to subjective stress in non-clinical as well as psychiatric clinical populations.

This pilot study will attempt to assess the use of cortisol hair level, as a marker of stress, to predict clinical deterioration in schizophrenic patients.

Enrollment: 34 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 50 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Age 18-50
• Diagnosis of schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder, made by a senior psychiatrist.
• Signing an informed consent.

Exclusion criteria

• Additional psychiatric diagnosis
• Boldness or hair shorter than 1cm
• Physiological disturbance in the HPA or the use of steroidal medication
• Neurological disease (past or present) or neurosurgery.
• Pregnancy
• Substantial chronic physical diseases/

Trial design

34 participants in 1 patient group

Schizophrenia patients

Treatment:

Biological: Hair Sample