Research from the Netherlands suggests aspirin might not just be for headaches anymore. PsychCentral reviewed an article published in the June issue of Journal of Clinical Psychiatry with promising findings based on a double-blind study showing people who took prescribed doses of aspirin along with olanzapine, clozapine, or risperidone showed significant symptom reduction compared to those taking the same medications with a placebo.

The findings, as described in the PsychCentral blog :

"Aspirin significantly helped reduce both the overall score of the PANSS (meaning the person felt better) as well as the score on the positive symptoms scale (things such as delusions, conceptual disorganization, hallucinations, hyperactivity, grandiosity, suspiciousness/persecution, and hostility). People on aspirin generally felt better and suffered from less of the symptoms commonly associated with schizophrenia.

Aspirin is often used to treat inflammations, and "Inflammation may constitute a potential new target for antipsychotic drug development," say the study authors. Results were measured by the Positive and Negative Symptom Schedule (PANSS) an assessment scale frequently used in studies to measure symptom severity or behvioral functioning.