Withania Somnifera Herb Normalizes Sensory Processing Measure in Schizophrenia

September 26, 2018 · Posted in Potential Treatments 

One of the best biomarkers of schizophrenia is low auditory mismatch negativity. Auditory mismatch negativity describes the pattern of electrical activity that occurs in the brain when a repeated sound is interrupted by a mismatched sound, such as a change in pitch or volume.

At the International Congress on Schizophrenia Research, Paulina S. Marell and colleagues described their pilot study of the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory herb Ashwagandha or Withania Somnifera (also known as Indian ginseng, poison gooseberry, or winter cherry). In 11 patients with schizophrenia, the herb normalized mismatch negativity compared to placebo.

Marell and colleagues wrote that the herb “recover[ed] some of the impaired early sensory/cognitive potentials in schizophrenia.” Since normal cognition relies on sensory processing, normalizing these functions in people with schizophrenia could improve their symptoms.

A 2018 study by researcher K.N. Roy Chengappa and colleagues in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry reports that adding Withania Somnifera to patients’ regular antipsychotic medication improved negative symptoms of schizophrenia and total symptoms compared to adding placebo.

Editor’s Note: These studies, taken together, suggest the utility of adding this supplement to the treatment regimen for schizophrenia.

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