Comparison of the Effects of Aripiprazole and Risperidone on the Pattern of Brain Activation in Schizophrenic Patients

Inclusion Criteria

• For patients
• Men and women, right handed, 18 to 45 years;
• Having given their written informed consent;
• Presenting a diagnosis of schizophrenia made by DMS IV, hospitalized or followed regularly in a hospital proper, and whose symptoms are stable for at least 6 weeks, at the discretion of the psychiatrist;
• Receiving antipsychotic treatment (risperidone or aripiprazole) monotherapy stable (treatment and dose) for at least than 6 weeks;
• Showing no contra-indication for fMRI;
• Patients whose physical examination is unremarkable clinically significant;
• Patients without serious somatic pathology;
• Affiliated to a social security system.
• For women of childbearing potential, an appropriate contraception is mandatory and an negative pregnancy test
• For controls
• Men and women, right handed, aged 18 to 45 years of age, sex and socio-educational level comparable to patients included;
• Having given their written informed consent;
• Do not present a diagnosis of schizophrenia according to DSM IV set;
• Do not present psychiatric history, and free of any psychotropic medication;
• Including the physical examination is unremarkable clinically significant;
• Having no professional musical practice;
• Affiliated with a social security system.

Exclusion Criteria

• For patients
• Patients in menstruation without effective contraception (oral, intramuscular hormonal, intrauterine device, or surgical);
• Patients who are pregnant or breastfeeding;
• Patients not meeting criteria for schizophrenia according to DSM IV criteria or those with resistant schizophrenia (Kane criteria);
• Introducing a somatic disease or serious neurological, particularly Parkinson's disease, epilepsy, tardive dyskinesia and disabling cardiovascular disease, liver or kidney disease;
• Presenting a contra-indication to MRI;
• Having a history of alcoholism or drug addiction during the past year;
• Participating in another clinical trial or are in a period of exclusion from a previous protocol;
• Patients likely to have behavioral self aggression from the trial investigators

During the study:

• The investigator considers, for safety reasons, it is in the interest of the patient to be excluded from the study (Hospital readmission due to psychotic symptoms, clinical or psychiatric reasons)
• Consentment withdrawal
• The patient does not longer correspond to the inclusion criteria or protocol requirements
• For controls
• Women of childbearing potential without effective contraception (oral, intramuscular hormonal, intrauterine device, or surgical);
• Pregnant or breastfeeding;
• Presenting a somatic, psychiatric or neurological disorder;
• Presenting a history of alcohol or substance abuse during the past year;
• Participating in another clinical trial or are in a period of exclusion from a previous protocol;
• Presenting a contra-indication to MRI.