Natural Medicines Newsletter

Volume 1, Issue 34, 09/10/2009

Question

What are some common Chinese herbal medicines used in the treatment of schizophrenia?

Answer

Schizophrenia not only affects millions of people worldwide, but can be a complicated disease state to manage on a chronic basis.(1-3)  The DSM-IV-TR diagnostic manual presents schizophrenia as a major psychiatric disorder commonly associated with a various combination of symptoms that are categorized into being either positive, negative or disorganized symptoms.(3)  Positive symptoms include hallucinations and delusions, whereas negative symptoms include having a flat affect (no emotional expression), alogia (reduced thought and speech productivity), and avolition (decreased initiation of goal directed behavior).  Disorganized symptoms include disorganized speech, behavior, and poor attention.(3)  The approach to treatment of this disorder is currently centered around the modulation of the dopaminergic and serotonergic pathways in the central nervous system. 

It is also now well known across the general population that the use of complementary and/or alternative medicine is increasing for a number of medical conditions.  For example, in December 2008, the National Institutes of Health (NIH): National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) and the National Center for Health Statistics (a division of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) surveyed 32,810 people....

.......To read the full answer please LOGIN or SUBSCRIBE NOW.