title: Rasagiline in the Treatment of the Persistent Negative Symptoms of Schizophrenia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The current study examined the efficacy and safety of rasagiline, a selective MAO-B inhibitor, for the treatment of persistent negative symptoms.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty people with Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder, who met a priori criteria for persistent negative symptoms, were randomized to receive rasagiline, 1mg/d (n = 31) or placebo (n = 29) in a 12-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. The Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms (SANS) total score was used to assess change in negative symptoms. The Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS), N-Back test, a probabilistic learning task, and a delayed discounting task were used to assess cognition.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In a mixed model analysis of covariance (MM-ANCOVA), with time as a continuous variable, there was a significant treatment × time effect for SANS total score (F = 5.61(df = 1,40.3), P = .023). The treatment × time interaction effect was also significant for the SANS avolition subscale score (F(1,40.2) = 10.41, P = .002). In a post hoc MM-ANCOVA analyses, with time as a categorical variable, group differences were significant at week 12 for SANS total score (t(37.3) = 2.15; P = .04; d = -0.41) and SANS avolition subscale score (t(49.0) = 3.06; P = .004; d = -0.46). There was a significant difference in number of participants with a ≥20% reduction in SANS avolition score (χ(2)(1) = 10.94; P = .0009), but not in SANS total score (χ(2)(1) = 1.11; P = .29). There were no significant group differences on the RBANS, N-Back, probabilistic learning, or delayed discounting tasks.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Study results support future studies of the utility of rasagiline for the treatment of negative symptoms, including avolition (clinicaltrials.gov trial number: NCT00492336).
authors.affiliation: Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA rwbuchan@mprc.umaryland.edu.
authors.forename: Robert W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Buchanan
authors.affiliation: Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Elaine
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Weiner
authors.affiliation: Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Deanna L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Kelly
authors.affiliation: Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors.forename: James M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Gold
authors.affiliation: Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors.forename: William R
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Keller
authors.affiliation: Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors.forename: James A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Waltz
authors.affiliation: Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Robert P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: McMahon
authors.affiliation: Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Gorelick
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007189:Indans / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008996:Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care / Q000379:methods*; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D007189:Indans; D008996:Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors; C031967:rasagiline
keywords: cognition; dopamine; monoamine oxidase; randomized clinical trial