PENGARUH TERAPI ADJUVAN KURMA AJWA TERHADAP PERBAIKAN GEJALA KLINIS DAN KADAR INTERLEUKIN-1β (IL-1β) SERUM PASIEN SKIZOFRENIA YANG MENDAPATKAN TERAPI RISPERIDONE = EFFECT OF AJWA DATES ADJUVANT THERAPY ON IMPROVEMENT OF CLINICAL SYMPTOMS AND SERUM INTERLEUKIN-1β (IL-1β) LEVELS OF SCHIZOPHRENIA PATIENTS RECEIVING RISPERIDONE THERAPY

Firdaus. The Effect of Ajwa Dates Adjuvant Therapy on Improvement of Clinical Symptoms and Serum Interleukin-1β (IL-1β) Levels of Schizophrenia Patients Receiving Risperidone Therapy. (supervised by Saidah Syamsuddin, Erlyn Limoa, and Irfan Idris). Background: Schizophrenia is a mental disorder that has three groups of symptoms, namely positive symptoms, negative symptoms, and cognitive symptoms. Inflammation plays a role in the etiology and pathophysiology of schizophrenia symptoms, through the effects of proinflammatory cytokines such as IL -1β. Ajwa dates are one of the non-pharmacological modalities rich in phenolics and flavonoids with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Available clinical trials are still limited in exploring the role of ajwa dates as an adjuvant in the management of schizophrenia. Objective: To determine the effect of ajwa dates adjuvant therapy on improving clinical symptoms and serum IL-1β levels in schizophrenia patients receiving risperidone therapy Method: A quasi-experimental study was conducted by measuring pre- and post-tests with random group selection using a single-blind method. The number of subjects was 60 divided into a treatment group of 30 subjects who received Risperidone therapy 4-6 mg/day plus adjuvant therapy of ajwa dates weighing 60-65 gr/7 dates for 8 weeks and a control group of 30 subjects who only received Risperidone therapy 4-6 mg/day. Improvement of clinical symptoms was assessed using the PANSS scale and IL -1β serum levels were measured in the first week (baseline) and week 8. Chi-square, paired T-test, Mann-Whitney test, and Spearman and Pearson correlation tests were performed to see the significance. Results: There was a significant improvement in clinical symptoms in schizophrenia patients who received risperidone therapy and adjuvant ajwa date therapy or those who only received risperidone at week 8 of therapy, but there was a better improvement in clinical symptoms in schizophrenia patients who received risperidone therapy and adjuvant ajwa date therapy. There was a decrease in serum IL- 1β levels in the treatment group and the control group after week 8 of therapy, and there was a significant difference in the decline in serum IL-1β levels in both groups. There was a statistically significant correlation between clinical symptoms (positive symptoms and negative symptoms) and serum IL-1β levels in both groups, clinically there was an improvement in clinical symptoms followed by a decrease in serum IL- 1β levels. Conclusion: Adjuvant administration of Ajwa dates to schizophrenia patients receiving risperidone therapy can provide better improvement in clinical symptoms (positive symptoms, negative symptoms, and general psychopathology) compared to those without adjuvant Ajwa dates. There was a correlation between serum IL-1β levels and PANSS values in both groups, the lower the serum IL-1β levels, the lower the PANSS values. There was a correlation between a decrease in serum IL-1β levels and an improvement in positive symptoms and general psychopathology in patients who received adjuvant Ajwa dates.

Keyword : Schizophrenia, Risperidone, Ajwa Dates, PANSS, IL-1β.