Aspirin Inclusion in Antipsychotic Treatment on Severity of Symptoms in Schizophrenia: A Randimized Clinical Trial

Abstract

Background: Previous studies have suggested inflammation as the pathogenesis of schizophrenia. Objectives: In this study, we evaluated the effect of adding aspirin to antipsychotic treatment on severity of symptoms in schizophrenia. Materials and Methods: This was a triple-blind, prospective clinical trial study that was conducted at Noor hospital of Isfahan University of Medical Science during year 2015. The patients were randomly, through a number table, were divided to three groups of 20 members labeled intervention 1, intervention 2 and control. Patients in each group were initially evaluated through the positive and negative syndrome scale (PANSS) scale in terms of severity of schizophrenia symptoms. In addition to antipsychotic medication, the intervention 1 group received daily aspirin for six weeks at a dose of 325 mg, while intervention 2, in addition to antipsychotic medication, received daily aspirin with a dose of 500 mg for six weeks. Then PANSS scale was evaluated at the end of the intervention and the results were compared through repeated measure and logistic regression. Results: The results showed that the effect of adding aspirin to antipsychotic treatment was greater regarding the final outcome, positive and negative symptoms and general psychopathology in four weeks after discontinuation of the intervention compared to the other time points (P < 0.001). Conclusions: Regarding the effectiveness of aspirin in reducing the severity of positive, negative and general psychopathology of schizophrenia, results of our study reinforce the role of inflammation in the etiology of schizophrenia.