To investigate the clinical efficacy of Ningshen Wendan Decoction (宁神温胆汤) on auditory hallucination symptoms and cognitive function in schizophrenia patients with psychiatric disabilities.

A total of 98 schizophrenia patients with psychiatric disabilities treated at the hospital from January 2022 to January 2023 were selected and randomly assigned to the reference group (49 cases, receiving risperidone treatment) and the herbal medicine group (49 cases, receiving Ningshen Wendan Decoction in addition to risperidone). The treatment period was 4 weeks. The clinical efficacy, clinical symptoms [Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), Auditory Hallucination Rating Scale (AHRS), Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90)], cognitive function [Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA)], neurobiochemical indicators and adverse events were compared between the two groups.

After 4 weeks of treatment, the total efficacy rate in the herbal medicine group was higher than that in the reference group (P<0.05). After treatment, PANSS and AHRS scores in the herbal medicine group were lower than those in the reference group, while MMSE and MoCA scores were higher (P<0.05). Additionally, the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels were higher, while the levels of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and acetylcholine (ACh) were lower in the herbal medicine group than those in the reference group (P<0.05). The incidence of adverse events was not statistically different between the two groups (P>0.05).

Ningshen Wendan Decoction combined with conventional antipsychotic medication significantly alleviates the auditory hallucination symptoms and improves the cognitive function in schizophrenia patients with psychiatric disabilities, demonstrating good safety and clinical applicability.