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Could a seizure drug quiet the overactive brain region behind schizophrenia?

NCT ID NCT02647437

Disease control Sponsor: University of Colorado, Denver Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed This study
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Aug 21, 2026 · Last updated Aug 21, 2026

Summary

This trial tests whether a low dose of levetiracetam, a drug normally used for seizures, can calm an overactive part of the brain called the hippocampus in people with schizophrenia. The study also looks at whether the drug might improve memory and other thinking skills. About 18 adults with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder will receive either levetiracetam or a placebo, and researchers will use brain scans and cognitive tests to measure any changes.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
levetiracetam (an anti-seizure drug, also known as Keppra)
What this could lead to
If it works, this could point toward a new add-on treatment to ease cognitive symptoms in schizophrenia.
What could go wrong
This is a very small, early-stage trial, so results may not hold up in larger studies. The drug may also cause side effects like dizziness or sleepiness.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Not a phased trial

Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.

Participants

18 people

The number who actually took part.

Start date

Jun 2013

Finished

Sep 2024

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

18 to 65 years

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * Diagnosis of schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder * Good general health * Normal vital signs (blood pressure, pulse, cardiac, pulmonary, abdominal, neurological exam) * Normal renal function (as assessed by a metabolic panel at screening if results current within three months are not already available) Exclusion Criteria: 1. Substance abuse 2. Significant neurological disorders 3. Significant head trauma/injury 4. Left-handedness 5. Pregnancy 6. MRI-specific exclusion criteria (e.g., claustrophobia, weight \> 450lbs, metal in the body)

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

schizoaffective disorder schizophrenia

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Schizophrenia

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus

    Aurora, Colorado, 80045, United States

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