Effect of Ashwagandha as Adjunct Therapy on BDNF and Cognitive Function in Schizophrenia Patients

This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) as an adjunctive therapy in improving serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels and cognitive function in patients with schizophrenia receiving risperidone treatment. This study uses a controlled clinical trial design involving two groups: a control group receiving risperidone only and an intervention group receiving risperidone combined with Ashwagandha extract. Cognitive function is assessed using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment Indonesian version (MoCA-Ina), and serum BDNF levels are measured at baseline and after 8 weeks of treatment. The study also aims to compare changes in cognitive function and BDNF levels between the two groups and to analyze the correlation between cognitive improvement and changes in BDNF levels. The findings are expected to provide evidence regarding the potential role of Ashwagandha as an adjunctive therapy for cognitive impairment in schizophrenia.

NCT Number	NCT07541157
Lead Sponsor	Hasanuddin University
Conditions	Schizophrenia Patients
Enrollment	80 participants
Start Date	2025-09-01
Primary Completion	2026-01-31 (estimated)
Study Completion	2026-01-31 (estimated)
Updated on ClinicalTrials.gov	2026-04-23