title: Informed consent in medication-free schizophrenia research.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The authors' goal was to determine whether people with schizophrenia experience changes in decisional capacity when their antipsychotic regimens are discontinued for research purposes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Capacity for informed consent for research, neuropsychological performance, and psychiatric symptoms were assessed before and after discontinuation of antipsychotic medication in 10 individuals with schizophrenia.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, participants showed minimal change on most measures during the medication-free interval, although their reasoning ability declined significantly. All participants who demonstrated adequate understanding of study procedures at enrollment retained this capacity throughout the study.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Participants in medication-free schizophrenia research do not show a major decline in decisional capacity. However, the apparent decline in reasoning ability found in this study is of concern and underscores the need for both additional research on this topic and the development of remediational interventions aimed at enhancing this aspect of decisional capacity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa, Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA. david-moser@uiowa.edu
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Moser
authors.forename: Rebecca L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Reese
authors.forename: Susan K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Schultz
authors.forename: Michelle L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Benjamin
authors.forename: Stephan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Arndt
authors.forename: Frank W
authors.initials: FW
authors.lastname: Fleming
authors.forename: Nancy C
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Andreasen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D003657:Decision Making; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007258:Informed Consent / Q000592:standards*; D008297:Male; D016743:Mental Competency / Q000592:standards*; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests / Q000592:standards; D018579:Patient Selection; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D035842:Research Subjects / Q000523:psychology*; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology
chemical_list: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents