title: Chinese herbal medicine for schizophrenia: cochrane systematic review of randomised trials.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: 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
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rathbone
authors.forename: Lan
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Mingming
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xia
authors.forename: Xiehe
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Yanchun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Clive E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Adams
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal