Feasibility Study of Immunotherapy in Autoantibody Positive Psychosis
Research type
Research Study
Full title
An unblinded study of the feasibility of plasmapheresis or intravenous immunoglobulin, combined with corticosteroids, in patients with acute psychosis associated with anti-neuronal membrane auto-antibodies.
IRAS ID
170737
Contact name
Alasdair Coles
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Cambridge University Hospitals NHS FT
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 0 days
Research summary
Psychosis is a mental health problem that causes people to perceive or interpret things differently from those around them, often involving hallucinations or delusions. Psychosis and schizophrenia are common disorders which predominantly affect younger adults. These disorders also cost the UK £12 billion per annum. Psychosis has many causes. Recently, we discovered that 5-10% of people with psychosis have antibodies in the blood that are capable of targeting the surface of brain cells, specific to the NMDA receptor or voltage gated potassium channel complex, which we believe may be causing the problem. Those positive for antibodies may have a problem with their immune system and this may prevent their brain from working normally. This trial aims to test the feasibility of removing or reducing the antibodies in patients’ blood, using immunotherapy, and see if this improves symptoms of psychosis. Immunotherapy in this feasibility study will involve giving all patients steroid tablets and half of them will also receive a drug called "intravenous immunoglobulin" whereas the other half will have a procedure called "plasma exchange". The feasibility study is designed to identify which method of immunotherapy is most suitable for use in this patient population. Results from this will inform on the methodology used for a proposed larger randomised control trial.
REC name
South Central - Oxford C Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/SC/0219
Date of REC Opinion
6 May 2015
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion