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Dual Extracellular Recordings in the Mouse Hippocampus and Prefrontal Cortex
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Published on: February 16, 2024

Valproate for schizophrenia.

Christian Schwarz1, Anja Volz, Chunbo Li

  • 1Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität München, Möhlstr. 28, Munich, Germany, 81675. Christian.Schwarz@lrz.tum.de

The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews
|July 23, 2008
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Valproate as an add-on treatment for schizophrenia shows no significant effect on overall mental state. However, preliminary findings suggest potential benefits for aggression and tardive dyskinesia, warranting further research.

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Area of Science:

  • Psychiatry and Pharmacology
  • Clinical Neuroscience
  • Evidence-Based Medicine

Background:

  • Schizophrenia treatment often requires add-on medications when standard antipsychotics are insufficient.
  • Valproate is one such medication considered for patients with inadequate treatment response.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To systematically review the efficacy and safety of valproate in treating schizophrenia and schizophrenia-like psychoses.
  • To assess valproate's role as a sole agent or adjunct therapy.

Main Methods:

  • Conducted a comprehensive search of the Cochrane Schizophrenia Group's register and other databases up to February 2007.
  • Included randomized controlled trials comparing valproate with antipsychotics or placebo.
  • Independently assessed study quality and extracted data, analyzing dichotomous and continuous outcomes.

Main Results:

  • Seven studies with 519 participants were included, all examining valproate as an adjunct to antipsychotics.
  • No significant impact on global or general mental state was observed.
  • One study indicated a faster onset of action, and another suggested reduced aggression and tardive dyskinesia with valproate, though these findings were from small, single studies.
  • Increased sedation was noted in the valproate group.

Conclusions:

  • Current evidence does not support or refute valproate as a standalone treatment for schizophrenia.
  • Limited evidence suggests potential benefits for aggression and tardive dyskinesia, but these require confirmation from larger, robust trials.
  • Further research is needed, particularly focusing on treatment-resistant schizophrenia, aggression, and schizoaffective disorders.