Chinese herbal medicine for schizophrenia: cochrane systematic review of randomised trials.
BACKGROUND
Chinese herbal medicine has been used to treat millions of people with schizophrenia for thousands of years.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate Chinese herbal medicine as a treatment for schizophrenia.


METHODS
A systematic review of randomised controlled trials (RCTs).


RESULTS
Seven trials were included. Most studies evaluated Chinese herbal medicine in combination with Western antipsychotic drugs; in these trials results tended to favour combination treatment compared with antipsychotic alone (Clinical Global Impression ;not improved/worse' n=123, RR=0.19, 95% CI 0.1-0.6, NNT=6,95% CI 5-11; n=109, Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale ;not improved/worse' RR=0.78,95% CI 0.5-1.2; n=109, Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms ;not improved/worse' RR=0.87,95% CI 0.7-1.2; n=109, Scale for the Assessment of Positive Symptoms ;not improved/worse' RR=0.69,95% CI 0.5-1.0, NNT=6 95% CI 4-162). Medium-term study attrition was significantly less for people allocated the herbal/antipsychotic mix (n=897, four RCTs, RR=0.34,95% CI 0.2-0.7, NNT=23,95% CI18-43).


CONCLUSIONS
Results suggest that combining Chinese herbal medicine with antipsychotics is beneficial.
Rathbone
John
J
Cochrane Schizop Schizophrenia hrenia Group, Academic Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Sciences, University of Leeds,15 Hyde Terrace, Leeds LS2 9LT, UK. jrathbone@cochrane-sz.org
Zhang
Lan
L
Zhang
Mingming
M
Xia
Jun
J
Liu
Xiehe
X
Yang
Yanchun
Y
Adams
Clive E
CE
D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal