Aspirin added to Regular Treatment Reduces Symptoms of Schizophrenia
Most drugs used to treat schizophrenia target dopamine and serotonin receptors in the brain. While these are effective in many patients, relapse is common and side effects can be severe. Researchers are looking for ways to target other mechanisms that cause schizophrenia, and inflammation seems to be one of these. There is evidence that a treatment as simple as aspirin, when added to regular treatment with antipsychotics, can improve schizophrenia by targeting inflammation.
In a 2010 study by Laan et al. published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, patients with moderate or severe schizophrenia were given either placebo or aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid, 1000mg) in addition to their regular treatments every day for three months. The patients who received aspirin showed a significant reduction in the positive symptoms of schizophrenia, and to a lesser extent the negative symptoms, compared to those who received placebo. Cognitive function was not improved. The effect size (Cohen d) for the total scale score was 0.5, which is considered a “medium” effect and one that is clinically relevant.
The reductions in symptoms were greater in those patients who had more altered immune function.
