1.
Association of Elements with Schizophrenia and Intervention of Selenium Supplements.
Li, Z, Liu, Y, Li, X, Ju, W, Wu, G, Yang, X, Fu, X, Gao, X
Biological trace element research. 2018;(1):16-21
Abstract
The purpose of this study is to explore more trace elements (zinc, potassium, copper, iron, boron, manganese, selenium, chromium and cadmium elements) in addition to calcium, magnesium, lead and arsenic in the sera of patients with schizophrenia and the general population in China and to determine the effect of selenium on schizophrenia patients. Participants were collected from the Pingyin County Mental Health Hospital and Pingyin County. A t test was used to analyse the differences between schizophrenia patients and healthy subjects, and element content differences in gender. Logistic multivariate regression analysis was applied to analyse the influence of elements to schizophrenia. Repeated measures analysis of variance was used to analyse differences in the elements after 1 and 3 months. Mn, Se, Cd, Pb, Ca, Cu and Fe were lower than those in the normal group, and B, Cr, As, K and Mg were higher than those in the control group. The odd ratios (ORs) of serum As and serum K were 2.624 and 1.035, respectively. The ORs of sera Cr, Mn, Se, Ca and Cu were all below one. After intervention of 'selenium weikang' about 1 and 3 months, the serum As was decreased and the serum selenium and copper were increased. Cr, Mn, Se, Ca and Cu might have beneficial, statistically significant effects on schizophrenia. Elements As and K might be harmful to schizophrenia with statistical significance. After selenium supplementation, the schizophrenia patients improved in some factors, like the appetite and memory, and the As element decreased.
2.
Therapeutic effects of cerebrolysin added to risperidone in patients with schizophrenia dominated by negative symptoms.
Xiao, S, Xue, H, Li, G, Yuan, C, Li, X, Chen, C, Wu, HZ, Mitchell, P, Zhang, M
The Australian and New Zealand journal of psychiatry. 2012;(2):153-60
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Cerebrolysin is a nootropic drug with unique neurotrophic activities directly affecting cerebral neurons. This study evaluated the efficacy and safety of cerebrolysin added to risperidone in patients with schizophrenia dominated by negative symptoms. METHODS The trial was a double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group design. A total of 109 patients who met the DSM-IV diagnostic criteria for schizophrenia were randomly assigned to cerebrolysin (cerebrolysin plus risperidone, n=55) or placebo (risperidone only, n=54) groups. Intravenous infusions of 30 ml cerebrolysin or placebo were given once daily from Monday to Friday for 4 weeks. Efficacy was assessed with measurements including the Positive and Negative Symptoms Scale (PANSS), Wechsler Memory Scale (WMS), modified Chinese Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (mWAIS). and Clinical Global Impression (CGI). RESULTS Patients in both groups demonstrated improvements in psychiatric symptoms and cognitive and memory performance as assessed by PANSS, mWAIS, and WMS over the trial. There was no difference in rates of change in the PANSS total score or negative score between the two treatment groups. Patients treated with cerebrolysin showed significantly greater improvements in cognitive and memory function from week 2. No severe treatment adverse events were observed in either group. The frequency of adverse events was comparable between the two groups at the end of the treatment. CONCLUSION Cerebrolysin added to risperidone did not augment the efficacy of risperidone in treating the psychotic symptoms of schizophrenia patients over an 8-week trial. Cerebrolysin at 30 ml per day as an adjunctive treatment was safe and may improve cognitive and memory functions of patients with schizophrenia dominated by negative symptoms.