Efficacy and Safety of Sulforaphane Added to Antipsychotics for the Treatment of Negative Symptoms of Schizophrenia: A Randomized Controlled Trial.
Level 2 - randomized trial
Individual randomized controlled trial
PubMed 39832347 · doi:10.4088/JCP.24m15272
What was done
A 24-week, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial evaluated adjunctive high-dose sulforaphane (1,700 mg Avmacol Extra Strength daily, glucoraphanin content 30 mg/tablet) versus placebo in patients with schizophrenia on antipsychotics in Hunan, China. Participants were randomized 2:1 (53 analyzed in the sulforaphane group, 24 in the placebo group who had at least 1 postintervention clinical evaluation). The primary outcome was the change in Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) negative symptoms.
What was found
Sulforaphane-treated patients demonstrated a significantly greater decrease in PANSS negative symptom total score (P = .01) and PANSS negative factor score (P = .02) compared to placebo. The most prominent difference occurred at 24 weeks (P ≤ .001) with a large effect size (d = 0.8). The effect on negative symptoms was not mediated by changes in PANSS depression or cognitive factor scores.
Why it matters
Effective pharmacotherapies for negative symptoms of schizophrenia are limited. This study provides randomized trial evidence that sulforaphane, an HDAC inhibitor with antioxidant properties, may be an effective adjunctive treatment for these persistent symptoms.
Limits
The study had a relatively small sample size (n = 77 analyzed with 2:1 allocation), was conducted in a single geographic region (Hunan, China), and the abstract does not report specific safety/adverse event outcomes, exact baseline or endpoint numerical scores, or long-term post-discontinuation follow-up.
Cited by
- supports Nutramax manufactures a supplement called Avmacol that contains glucoraphanin and myrosinase.