Nicotine Patch for Nicotine Dependence in Individuals With Schizophrenia or Schizoaffective Disorder - 1

This is a randomized double-blind placebo controlled 8 week outpatient medication clinical trial to evaluate the relative efficacy of High-Dose (42mg) versus Regular Dose (21mg) nicotine patch treatment for individuals with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder and nicotine dependence. It also has a placebo controlled continuation phase to examine if longer duration of treatment is more effective than a standard eight week dosing schedule. The literature supports that schizophrenics have an increased rates of smoking and are more likely to be dependent on nicotine. Nicotine gum and patches are safe and now approved for over the counter sale in the United States. High dose patch therapy is well tolerated and provides more complete nicotine replacement. This improves withdrawal symptom relief and it is hypothesized that abstinence rates from smoking will be greater in the high dose patch group. Few trials have examined the usefulness of nicotine replacement therapy in this population and preliminary evidence shows lower than expected success rates of smoking cessation with conventional treatments