January 20, 2009

Does The Addition Of Divalproex Sodium ER (VPA) Acid To An Atypical Antipsychotic Drug (APD) Improve Cognition And Psychopathology In Outpatients With Schizophrenia (SCH) Or Schizoaffective Disorder (SAD)?

Herbert Y. Meltzer, MD & Stefania Bonnacorso, MD

This study looked at whether adding divalproex sodium ER (Depakote ER) improved cognition for people with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder. In order to measure cognition improvements, study participants were tested on how well they remembered things, paid attention and solved problems. Depakote ER is an FDA approved drug for the treatment of mood disorders and seizure disorders. Cognitive function is one of the most critical deficits in schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder. It has been found that cognitive dysfunction may be even more important than the positive or negative symptoms of schizophrenia in predicting functional outcomes such as community adjustment, ability to work, social interactions, and caretaker burden. This double-blind, randomized 6-week trial tested whether Depakote ER was helpful for patients with these challenges. Publications are forthcoming.