CRT-Guanfacine for SPD

Cognitive Remediation Therapy (CRT) will consist of fifteen 45-minute, twice weekly sessions over 7.5 weeks. During each session, subjects, seated at a desk in a private interview room in our research office suite, will work through exercises that are part of the Psychological Software Services CogReHab program. The software to be used is a multimedia, Windows-based program that consists of exercises aimed at improving areas of deficit within the schizophrenia spectrum, such as executive function, working memory, and social cognition.

After completing baseline cognitive testing, subjects will be randomized to guanfacine or placebo. Subjects in the active treatment arm will begin with a guanfacine dose of 0.5mg/day and be titrated up to a maximum of 2mg/day according to our well-tolerated protocol in schizophrenia subjects. The dosing schedule of active guanfacine will be as follows: 0.5mg/d for week 1, 1.0mg/d for week 2, 1.0 mg bid for weeks 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 and 1.0mg/d for week 8.

After completing baseline cognitive testing, subjects will be randomized to guanfacine or placebo. Subjects in placebo arm will have matching schedule as active arm.