Ethyl-eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) may be a useful add-on therapy for schizophrenia, according to results of a randomized, placebo-controlled trial published in the September issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry.
Patients who were still symptomatic after six months of standard therapy had a significant reduction in both positive and negative symptoms after 12 weeks of treatment. “Extrapyramidal symptoms and limited efficacy are serious limitations of conventional antipsychotics, while high acquisition costs have put the novel antipsychotics beyond the reach of patients in lower-income countries,” write Robin Emsley, MD, from the University of Stellenbosch, Cape Town, South Africa, and colleagues.
“Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids may offer an affordable treatment alternative.” In this parallel-group, fixed-dose, add-on study conducted over 12 weeks, 40 patients with persistent symptoms of chronic, severe schizophrenia after at least six months of stable antipsychotic treatment received EPA or placebo in addition to their existing treatment.
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