Original Research J Clin Psychiatry July 2018

Adjunctive Use of a Standardized Extract of Withania somnifera (Ashwagandha) to Treat Symptom Exacerbation in Schizophrenia: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study

JCP 2018;79(5):10.4088/JCP.17m11826

Full Article Read the complete peer-reviewed article in J Clin Psychiatry. JCP 2018;79(5):10.4088/JCP.17m11826 Clinical Summary Patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder often remain burdened by negative symptoms, general psychopathology, and stress during symptom exacerbations despite ongoing antipsychotic treatment. This trial tests whether adding standardized Withania somnifera extract can improve those harder-to-treat symptom domains without adding major tolerability problems. FAQ Did adjunctive ashwagandha improve schizophrenia symptoms in this study? 13 questions
Key Takeaways The signal in this trial was strongest for negative symptoms: among the subgroup with baseline PANSS negative symptom severity of ≥ 4 on 2 or more items, mean change was 4.22 ± 2.86 with WSE versus 0.25 ± 2.14 with placebo (t19 = 3.65, P = .002), with Cohen d = 1.61, 95% CI = 0.61 to 2.6. 6 takeaways Clinical Guide How can clinicians add standardized Withania somnifera extract to antipsychotic treatment for outpatients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder during a recent symptom exacerbation? 8 steps
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