Effects of Atorvastatin on negative sign in chronic schizophrenia: A double blind clinical trial

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of Atorvastatin on negative symptoms in patients with chronic schizophrenia. The study was a prospective, double-blind, 6-week trial. Forty patients participated in the study; 19 patients were assigned to the Atorvastatin group as well as 21 patients to the placebo group. For assessing negative signs, we used Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms (SANS) in weeks 1st, 3nd, 4th, and 6th. Moreover, patients were randomly assigned to treatment groups with Risperidone (6 mg/day) plus 20 mg Atorvastatin or with Risperidone (6 mg/day) plus placebo. Mean scores of Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms (SANS) decreased during the treatment but there was no significant difference between the mean scores of two groups. The result of this trial suggested that Atorvastatin can be effective in reducing negative sign in schizophrenia although further studies seem to be needed.