withaferin-a and Schizophrenia

Extracts of Withania somnifera (WSE), or Ashwagandha, has traditionally been used as an adaptogen in Ayurvedic medicine, and evidence suggests that it may have efficacy in the treatment of psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia. This secondary analysis reviewed change in depression and anxiety symptoms in a study using WSE as an adjunctive treatment in patients with schizophrenia experiencing an exacerbation of positive symptoms.. We enrolled patients with schizophrenia in a 12-week, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study. Active treatment was with 1,000 mg of standardized WSE. This analysis reviewed outcomes for 66 patients with depression and anxiety symptoms by examining the singleitem depression and anxiety-depression cluster subscores extracted from the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale.. Medium effect sizes of 0.683 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.16 to 1.21) and 0.686 (95% CI, 0.16 to 1.21) favoring WSE over placebo were observed for depression single-item and anxiety-depression cluster scores, respectively. Adverse events were mild and transient.. Our findings suggest that WSE may hold promise in the treatment of depression and anxiety symptoms in schizophrenia. While the mechanism of its clinical efficacy requires more exploration, the data suggest.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Antipsychotic Agents; Anxiety; Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale; Depression; Double-Blind Method; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Plant Extracts; Schizophrenia; Treatment Outcome; Withania

To determine if adjunctive treatment with a standardized extract of Withania somnifera (WSE), with known anti-inflammatory and immunomodulating properties, improves psychopathology and stress in patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder (DSM-IV-TR).. Patients experiencing an exacerbation of symptoms were assigned to WSE (1,000 mg/d) or placebo for 12 weeks, added to their antipsychotic medication, in a random-assignment, double-blind, placebo-controlled study conducted from April 2013 to July 2016. Primary outcomes were change from baseline to end of treatment on the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS total, positive, negative, and general symptoms) between treatment groups. Secondary outcomes evaluated stress and inflammatory indices using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), S100 calcium-binding protein B (S100B), and C-reactive protein (CRP).. Sixty-six randomized patients (n = 33 per group) provided efficacy data. Beginning at 4 weeks and continuing to the end of treatment, WSE produced significantly greater reductions in PANSS negative, general, and total symptoms (Cohen d: 0.83, 0.76, 0.83), but not positive symptoms, when compared to placebo. PSS scores improved significantly with WSE treatment compared to placebo (Cohen d: 0.58). CRP and S100B declined more in the WSE group but were not significantly different from placebo. Adverse events were mild to moderate and transient; somnolence, epigastric discomfort, and loose stools were more common with WSE. No significant between-treatment differences were noted in body weight, vital signs, or laboratory measures, which remained stable.. This early study suggests that adjunctive treatment with a standardized extract of Withania somnifera provides significant benefits, with minimal side effects, for negative, general, and total symptoms and stress in patients with recent exacerbation of schizophrenia.. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01793935.

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Antipsychotic Agents; C-Reactive Protein; Double-Blind Method; Drug Therapy, Combination; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Phytotherapy; Plant Extracts; Psychotic Disorders; S100 Calcium Binding Protein beta Subunit; Schizophrenia; Treatment Outcome; Young Adult