Efficacy Study of Panax Ginseng to Boost Antipsychotics Effects in Schizophrenia

A Placebo-controlled Cross Study of Panax Ginseng in Augmentation of Antipsychotics in 60 Partially Treatment Responsive Patients With Schizophrenia

The objective of the study is to determine whether Panax Ginseng with multiple interactions with key components of brain signaling pathway, can augment the effects of antipsychotics in Schizophrenia. We are primarily interested to examine the actions of Ginseng combined with antipsychotics in improving the ways patients diagnosed with schizophrenia behave in social environment, store, process and retrieve information.

Schizophrenia is a serious mental disorder affecting individuals in multiple ways: behavior control, emotional and information processing and the functional levels conforming to societal norms. Despite recent advances in medication therapy in treating the target symptoms of schizophrenia , subsets of patients diagnosed with schizophrenia continue to exhibit negative symptoms ( social withdrawal,apathy, lack of drive )and cognitive impairment (memory, attention, judgment and reasoning). Recently, there has been interest to explore the efficacy of avenue of dietary and herbal supplements with known pharmacological actions in treatment and prevention of neuropsychiatric disorders, especially bipolar and schizophrenia. We hypothesize that Panax Ginseng , with multiple interactions with chemical pathways in the brain described as neurotransmitter systems (Dopamine, GABA and NMDA ) can improve the residual symptoms of schizophrenia when added to the antipsychotics currently used in the treatment of schizophrenia. Furthermore, in view of previous studies of Ginseng in enhancing memory , we hypothesize that the standardized formulation of Ginseng (Ginsana-115 from Boehringer Ingelheim-Pharmaton,Switzerland ) will optimize the antipsychotics in cognition impairment and negative symptoms. In the 18-week RCT cross-over study, schizophrenic subjects will be treated with either Ginsana-115 ( 100 mg or 200 mg by oral route) or placebo in a cross-over design. we plan to recruit 60 subjects diagnosed as schizophrenia from the four sites : London-St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada; Kingston Ontario Canada; Thunderbay, Ontario Canada and Middlesex, United Kingdom.

negative symptoms schizophrenia, Atypical antipsychotics, Neurocognition impairment, obesity risk factor, Diabetes insulin resistance schizophrenia

Ginsana-115 (Panax Ginseng formulation obtained from Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaton Inc. Switzerland )is available in oral dosage form of capsules. Two dosages of Ginsana-115 will be tested: 100 mg once daily oral dosage ( 1 100-mg Ginsana-115 capsule) and 200 mg once daily dosage ( 2 100-mg Ginsana-115 capsule). The total duration of each dosage is 8 weeks.

Placebo capsules formulated identical to the active drug: Ginsana-115 are to be obtained from Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaton, Switzerland. Two dosages of Placebo capsules will be administered once daily for 8 weeks : a) Placebo 100 mg capsule: 1 placebo capsule daily; b) Placebo 200 mg capsule: 2 placebo-capsule daily

The standardized extract of Panax Ginseng was formulated by Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaton, Switzerland and fulfills the criteria of cGMP. Quality control and safety are monitored regularly by Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaton.

The battery of neurocognitive tests is to be administered in a computerized format to the subjects at various time intervals

We examined whether the subjects participated in the study experienced any changes in indices of metabolic-metabolic functions

BMI will be measured along with anthropometric measures: % total body water;% total fat, % muscle mass

Inclusion Criteria: Male or female age 18-65 years DSM-IV diagnosis of Schizophrenia SANS score greater than 30 Exclusion Criteria: Current (past 12 months) substance use disorder Except nicotine dependence Major medical disorders : hematological disorder Chronic active hepatitis, acute hepatitis, cirrhosis of liver, AIDS Pregnancy and breast-feeding Neurological disorders including epilepsy traumatic brain injury HAM-D score greater than 24