Effective treatments for cognitive impairment associated with schizophrenia (CIAS) remain an unmet need. Nicotinic α7 receptor agonists may be effective in CIAS. This 8-week (week 1, inpatient; weeks 2-8, outpatient), double-blind, randomized study used Measurement And Treatment Research to Improve Cognition in Schizophrenia (MATRICS) guidelines to investigate the nicotinic α7 partial agonist RG3487 (formerly MEM3454) in CIAS; 215 patients with chronic stable schizophrenia received placebo or RG3487 (5, 15, or 50 mg) added to ongoing treatment with risperidone, paliperidone, or aripiprazole.
Umbricht D, Keefe R, Murray S, Lowe D, Porter R, Garibaldi G, Santarelli L. A randomized, placebo-controlled study investigating the nicotinic α7 agonist, RG3487, for cognitive deficits in schizophrenia. Neuropsychopharmacology, 2014; 39(7): 1568-1577. (PMCID: PMC4023143).