Author(s):
Sanders, Lia Lira Olivier ; Menezes, Carlos Eduardo de Souza ; Chaves Filho, Adriano José Maia ; Viana, Glautemberg de Almeida ; Fechine, Francisco Vagnaldo ; Queiroz, Maria Goretti Rodrigues de ; Fonseca, Said Gonçalvez da Cruz ; Vasconcelos, Silvânia Maria Mendes ; Moraes, Maria Elisabete Amaral de ; Gama, Clarissa S. ; Seybolt, Sheila ; Campos, Eugênio de Moura ; Macêdo, Danielle ; Lucena, David Freitas de
Date: 2018
Origin: Oasisbr
Subject(s): Esquizofrenia; Schizophrenia; Antioxidants; Antioxidantes
Description
Purpose/Background: Accumulating evidence suggests an involvement of oxidative stress in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. This offers a hypothesis-derived therapeutic approach to hinder oxidative damage and its clinical sequelae. α-Lipoic acid (ALA) is a powerful natural antioxidant indicated to treat diabetic neuropathy. Methods/Procedures: In this pilot investigation, we administered ALA (100 mg/d) for 4 months, as an adjunct to antipsychotic medication, to 10 patients with schizophrenia. Findings/Results: We found robust improvement in measures of psychopathology (63.9% reduction in Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale scores), neurocognitive parameters, extrapyramidal symptoms, and decreased lipid peroxidation. Implications/Conclusions: If larger, double-blind, placebo-controlled studies confirm these preliminary findings, ALA could prove useful as adjunctive therapy for schizophrenia.
