Effect of Vitamin D Supplementation on Cognitive Functions, Positive and Negative Symptoms Among an Egyptian Sample of Patients with Schizophrenia

Abstract

BackgroundA role for vitam in D in brain development and function has been gaining support over the last decade. Early deficiencies have been linked with neuropsychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia.AimIs to assess whether correcting vitamin deficiency in patients with schizophrenia results in improvement in cognitive function and improve positive and negative symptoms.Subjects and MethodsThis is a Randomized double-blind placebo-controlled study. 74 patients were interviewed; 14 patients did not meet inclusion criteria and were excluded and the remaining 60 patients were divided in two groups: 30 patients with normal level of serum vitamin D and 30 patients with low serum vitamin D. Then 30 patients with low vitamin D were blindly divided into 13 patients received vitamin D plus antipsychotic medications and 17 patients received antipsychotic medications plus placebo. Cognitive functions, positive and negative symptoms were compared between groups.ResultsVitamin D treatment helped to improve attention by 15.2%, memory by 36.14% and emotion recognition by 43.7%. Also, improvement in positive scale by 66.2% in treatment group versus 46.5% in untreated group. Improvement in negative scale by 51.2% in treatment group versus 28.8% in untreated group. Improvement in pathology scale by 65.4% in treatment group versus 40.7% in untreated group.ConclusionsVitamin D injection helped to improve attention, memory, emotion recognition, positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia when given with antipsychotic medications.