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Synaptic Imaging for Schizophrenia

Phase 1
Recruiting
Led By Jong H Yoon, MD
Research Sponsored by Davidzon, Guido, M.D.
Eligibility Criteria Checklist
Specific guidelines that determine who can or cannot participate in a clinical trial
Must have
A clinical diagnosis of schizophrenia, schizophreniform, or schizoaffective disorder
Able to complete a PET-MR scan without the use of sedation
Timeline
Screening 3 weeks
Treatment Varies
Follow Up 120 minutes (scan duration)
Awards & highlights

Study Summary

This trial will use PET scans to look for evidence of reduced synaptic density in the brains of people with schizophrenia, in order to test the hypothesis that too much synaptic pruning may be a key cause of the condition.

Who is the study for?
This trial is for adults aged 18-65 with a clinical diagnosis of schizophrenia, schizophreniform, or schizoaffective disorder. Participants must be on stable medication for at least two weeks and able to undergo a PET-MR scan without sedation.Check my eligibility
What is being tested?
The study uses [11C]UCB-J radiotracer in a PET-MR imaging technique to measure synaptic density in the brain and test the neural synaptic pruning hypothesis related to schizophrenia.See study design
What are the potential side effects?
Potential side effects are not detailed but may include discomfort from lying still during the scan and exposure to radiation typical of PET scans.

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

You may be eligible if you check “Yes” for the criteria below
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I have been diagnosed with schizophrenia or a related disorder.
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I can undergo a PET-MR scan without needing sedation.
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I am between 18 and 65 years old.

Timeline

Screening ~ 3 weeks
Treatment ~ Varies
Follow Up ~120 minutes (scan duration)
This trial's timeline: 3 weeks for screening, Varies for treatment, and 120 minutes (scan duration) for reporting.

Treatment Details

Study Objectives

Outcome measures can provide a clearer picture of what you can expect from a treatment.
Primary outcome measures
Cross-sectional differences in synaptic density between HC and SZ participants

Trial Design

2Treatment groups
Experimental Treatment
Group I: Schizophrenia (SZ) ParticipantsExperimental Treatment2 Interventions
Participants will undergo positron emission tomography-magnetic resonance (PET-MR) imaging using the [11C]UCB-J radiotracer
Group II: Healthy Control (HC) ParticipantsExperimental Treatment2 Interventions
Participants will undergo positron emission tomography-magnetic resonance (PET-MR) imaging using the [11C]UCB-J radiotracer

Find a Location

Logistics

Participation is compensated

You will be compensated for participating in this trial.

Who is running the clinical trial?

Weston Havens FoundationUNKNOWN
Davidzon, Guido, M.D.Lead Sponsor
2 Previous Clinical Trials
11 Total Patients Enrolled
Jong H Yoon, MDPrincipal InvestigatorStanford University
1 Previous Clinical Trials
10 Total Patients Enrolled

Frequently Asked Questions

These questions and answers are submitted by anonymous patients, and have not been verified by our internal team.
Recent research and studies
Journal of Nuclear MedicineJournal
Synthesis and Preclinical Evaluation Of<sup>11</sup>c-ucb-j as a PET Tracer for Imaging the Synaptic Vesicle Glycoprotein 2A in the Brain
Nabulsi, Nabeel B., Joël Mercier, Daniel Holden, Stephane Carré, Soheila Najafzadeh, Marie-Christine Vandergeten, Shu-fei Lin, et al.. 2016. “Synthesis and Preclinical Evaluation Of11c-ucb-j as a PET Tracer for Imaging the Synaptic Vesicle Glycoprotein 2A in the Brain”. Journal of Nuclear Medicine. Society of Nuclear Medicine. doi:10.2967/jnumed.115.168179.
JAMA NeurologyJournal
Assessing Synaptic Density in Alzheimer Disease with Synaptic Vesicle Glycoprotein 2A Positron Emission Tomographic Imaging
Chen, Ming-Kai, Adam P. Mecca, Mika Naganawa, Sjoerd J. Finnema, Takuya Toyonaga, Shu-fei Lin, Soheila Najafzadeh, et al.. 2018. “Assessing Synaptic Density in Alzheimer Disease with Synaptic Vesicle Glycoprotein 2A Positron Emission Tomographic Imaging”. JAMA Neurology. American Medical Association (AMA). doi:10.1001/jamaneurol.2018.1836.
Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow & MetabolismJournal
Noise Reduction in the Simplified Reference Tissue Model for Neuroreceptor Functional Imaging
Wu, Yanjun, and Richard E. Carson. 2002. “Noise Reduction in the Simplified Reference Tissue Model for Neuroreceptor Functional Imaging”. Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow & Metabolism. SAGE Publications. doi:10.1097/01.wcb.0000033967.83623.34.
Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow & MetabolismJournal
Kinetic Evaluation and Test–retest Reproducibility of [<sup>11</sup>c]ucb-j, a Novel Radioligand for Positron Emission Tomography Imaging of Synaptic Vesicle Glycoprotein 2A in Humans
Finnema, Sjoerd J, Nabeel B Nabulsi, Joël Mercier, Shu-fei Lin, Ming-Kai Chen, David Matuskey, Jean-Dominique Gallezot, et al.. 2017. “Kinetic Evaluation and Test–retest Reproducibility of [11c]ucb-j, a Novel Radioligand for Positron Emission Tomography Imaging of Synaptic Vesicle Glycoprotein 2A in Humans”. Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow & Metabolism. SAGE Publications. doi:10.1177/0271678x17724947.
All > Schizophrenia
~15 spots leftby Dec 2025
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