Main Objectives:
The study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of augmenting naltrexone to standard antipsychotic therapy with risperidone in treating symptoms of schizophrenia.
Research Methodology:
The study was structured as a 12-week, double-blind, randomized controlled trial involving 69 participants. These individuals were divided into two groups, receiving either 100 mg of naltrexone or a placebo, alongside a steady regimen of 4 mg of risperidone daily. The efficacy of the treatments was gauged using the Scale for Assessment of Positive Symptoms (SAPS) and the Scale for Assessment of Negative Symptoms (SANS).
Results:
Both the naltrexone and placebo groups showed a reduction in SAPS and SANS scores, indicating an improvement in symptoms from the baseline. However, the reductions were significantly greater in the naltrexone group compared to the placebo group, with mean decreases in SANS scores of 8.20 for naltrexone versus 4.23 for placebo, and SAPS scores of 7.67 for naltrexone versus 4.63 for placebo (p<0.05 for both).
Discussion and Conclusions:
The study concluded that naltrexone, when used to augment risperidone, results in a significant reduction in both positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia compared to risperidone alone. These results suggest a potential benefit of naltrexone augmentation in enhancing the therapeutic effects of standard antipsychotic treatment in schizophrenia. Further investigations are recommended to confirm these findings and to explore the broader applicability of naltrexone augmentation in other atypical antipsychotic therapies.