Acetyl-L-Carnitine as An Add-On Therapy for Negative and Cognitive Symptoms of Schizophrenia: A Randomized Control Trial

INTRODUCTION: Preliminary studies suggestive of Acetyl-L-carnitine treatment have positive effects on patients depression with respects to fatigability and cognitive functions and also negative symptoms in patients diagnosed with schizophrenia. AIM: The aim of the study is to assess the effect of Acetyl-L carnitine as an add on therapy in patients with schizophrenia. OBJECTIVES: To assess the response of acetyl-L-carnitine as an augmented treatment in reduction of negative symptoms, cognitive decline severity in patients of schizophrenia. METHODOLOGY: Seventy five patients diagnosed with schizophrenia according to the DSM-5 criteria were selected for the study after meeting the inclusion criteria and written informed consent. Fifteen patients were dropped from the study due to multiple reasons, finally 60 patients completed the pre and post analysis. Two groups of the patients were taken randomly from Hospital, which were drug naïve psychotic patients. Both the groups were chosen according to inclusion and exclusion criteria as mentioned earlier. After analysis it was found that both the groups were comparable with respect to age, sex, education, occupation, marital status, family type and economic status ensuring more homogeneity among the groups as compared to previous studies (p value >0.05). After randomization, 30 patients were assigned for olanzepine group, and 30 for olanzepine + acetyl l carnitine group. All the patients were assessed with PANSS, MoCA, GAF at the baseline and follow up.Post analysis was done after 6 weeks of treatment. Baseline and follow up data was compared. RESULTS: Both group is very much significant in comparison with intra group. The two group medication is working fine. But the efficacy of ALC is unknown when comparing both groups. CONCLUSION: The results of the current study in conjunction with the results of other methodologically similar studies suggest that ALC can be used as an additional medication with the active ingredient olanzapine. There is no significant difference in effect of olanzapine mono-therapy vs. olanzapine augmented Acetyl-L-carnitine in patients with schizophrenia. Both group shows similar pattern in reduction of negative symptoms, cognitive decline severity in patients of schizophrenia.