Assessment of the effects of AZD3480 on cognitive function in patients with schizophrenia.

AZD3480 is a selective agonist of α4β2 central neuronal nicotinic receptors (NNRs). This study investigated its effects on cognition, relative to placebo, in 440 patients with stable schizophrenia who were taking a single atypical antipsychotic medication and who were active cigarette smokers. Mean age was 41 (range 19 to 55) years and the majority of patients (88%) had a diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia.