Evidence map›Paper›PMID 24346133›Full record

Trial reportTranslational psychiatry2013

A randomized placebo-controlled trial of an omega-3 fatty acid and vitamins E+C in schizophrenia.

H Bentsen, K Osnes, H Refsum, D K Solberg, T Bøhmer

Open access · goldAbstract readMulticenter StudyRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in Translational psychiatry, 2013. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 40 papers, 12 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
40citing papers in PubMed, 12 pooled it
4.4field-weighted citation impact, top 6% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

40 citing papers in PubMed, 12 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 92 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Efficacy and safety of Nrf2 activators for schizophrenia: a systematic review and meta-analysis.European archives of psychiatry and clinical neuroscience · 2026
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  8. Effects of Omega 3 Fatty Acids on Main Dimensions of Psychopathology.International journal of molecular sciences · 2020
    Pooled it
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  11. Natural Medicines for Psychotic Disorders: A Systematic Review.The Journal of nervous and mental disease · 2018
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  20. Variations to plasma HSchizophrenia (Heidelberg, Germany) · 2024
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

H Bentsen1] Center for Psychopharmacology, Diakonhjemmet Hospital, Oslo, Norway [2] Division of Psychiatry, Oslo University Hospital, Aker, Oslo, Norway.
K OsnesDepartment of Psychosomatic Medicine, Oslo University Hospital, Rikshospitalet, Oslo, Norway.
H RefsumCenter for Psychopharmacology, Diakonhjemmet Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
D K SolbergCenter for Psychopharmacology, Diakonhjemmet Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
T BøhmerNutritional Laboratory, Department of Medical Biochemistry, Oslo University Hospital, Aker, Oslo, Norway.
Diakonhjemmet Hospital · NOOslo University Hospital · NO

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Membrane lipid metabolism and redox regulation may be disturbed in schizophrenia. We examined the clinical effect of adding an omega-3 fatty acid and/or vitamins E+C to antipsychotics. It was hypothesized that lower baseline levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) would predict more benefit from the add-on treatment. The trial had a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled 2 × 2 factorial design. Patients aged 18-39 years with schizophrenia or related psychoses were consecutively included at admission to psychiatric departments in Norway. They received active or placebo ethyl-eicosapentaenoate (EPA) 2 g day⁻¹ and active or placebo vitamin E 364 mg day⁻¹+vitamin C 1000 mg day⁻¹ (vitamins) for 16 weeks. The main outcome measures were Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) total and subscales scores, analyzed by linear mixed models. Ninety-nine patients were included. At baseline, erythrocyte PUFA were measured in 97 subjects. Given separately, EPA and vitamins increased drop-out rates, whereas when combined they did not differ from placebo. In low PUFA patients, EPA alone impaired the course of total PANSS (Cohen's d=0.29; P=0.03) and psychotic symptoms (d=0.40; P=0.003), especially persecutory delusions (d=0.48; P=0.0004). Vitamins alone impaired the course of psychotic symptoms (d= 0.37; P=0.005), especially persecutory delusions (d=0.47; P=0.0005). Adding vitamins to EPA neutralized the detrimental effect on psychosis (interaction d=0.31; P=0.02). In high PUFA patients, there were no significant effects of trial drugs on PANSS scales. In conclusion, given separately during an acute episode, EPA and vitamins E+C induce psychotic symptoms in patients with low levels of PUFA. Combined, these agents seem safe.

Indexed as

Schizophrenic PsychologyAdolescentAdultAntipsychotic AgentsAscorbic AcidDouble-Blind MethodDrug Therapy, CombinationEicosapentaenoic AcidFatty Acids, Omega-3Fatty Acids, UnsaturatedHumansSchizophreniaTreatment OutcomeVitamin EVitaminsYoung AdultAntipsychotic AgentsAscorbic AcidEicosapentaenoic Acideicosapentaenoic acid ethyl esterFatty Acids, Omega-3Fatty Acids, UnsaturatedVitamin EVitamins

Identifiers

PMID24346133
PMCPMC3906471
OpenAlexW1992302122

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.