Pregnenolone and schizophrenia

What 5 graded rows on pregnenolone agree on for schizophrenia, and where they differ. Counted side by side, never averaged.

Consensus finder Rows from the Pregnenolone page, reviewed Oct 21, 2026 How it decides

What the rows agree on

Each block and row is one graded row from the Pregnenolone page, with its PubMed record.

Your question

Schizophrenia5 Craving and anxiety3

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Pregnenolone and schizophrenia

5 rows · 329 people

Split. 1 row found an improvement, 1 found no difference and 3 had mixed results.

No difference or mixed

Improved

Each block is one evidence row, sized by how many people it enrolled, with its grade inside. Outlined: mixed results.

Grade C× 2
Grade D× 3

Rows: 5
Trials: 5
People: 329

Where they differ

From the rows

Who was studiedWhen publishedGrade

The best-graded row, grade C, is a randomized trial of 111 people (2014) and reported mixed results.

Only the row that found no difference names women in its population.

The row that found no difference is newer (2017) than the row that found an improvement (2014).

The best grade is C among the row that found no difference, and D among the row that found an improvement.

3 rows with mixed results are left out of this comparison.

The rows

1 improved · 1 no difference · 3 mixed

Grade DNegative symptoms in recent-onset schizophrenia (add-on) · Improved
RCT · n 60 · 2014 · Out- and inpatients with recent-onset schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder and suboptimal antipsychotic response
50 mg/day · 8 weeks
Negative symptom scores fell more than with placebo (effect size d=0.79); other symptoms, functioning and side effects did not differ.
Row on the Pregnenolone page · PubMed 24548129 (opens PubMed)
Grade CTotal symptom scores in women with schizophrenia (add-on to risperidone) · No difference
RCT · n 82 · 2017 · Female inpatients with chronic schizophrenia starting risperidone (Iran)
50 mg/day · 8 weeks
The primary outcome, change in PANSS total score, did not differ from placebo (mean difference −9.41, 95% CI −20.24 to 1.41; p = 0.087). Negative and general symptom differences did not survive correction for multiple testing.
Row on the Pregnenolone page · PubMed 28688338 (opens PubMed)
Grade CCognition, functional capacity and negative symptoms in schizophrenia (add-on) · Mixed
RCT · n 111 · 2014 · Adults with schizophrenia (Singapore)
Dose not stated in the abstract · 8 weeks
No change in composite cognitive scores vs placebo; functional capacity (UPSA-B) improved more with pregnenolone (p=0.03). Negative symptoms were low at baseline and did not improve further.
Row on the Pregnenolone page · PubMed 25030803 (opens PubMed)
Grade DPositive symptoms, attention and working memory in schizophrenia (add-on) · Mixed
RCT · n 58 · 2010 · Adults with chronic schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder on antipsychotics (two centres)
30 mg/day or 200 mg/day (a third arm took DHEA 400 mg/day) · 8 weeks
At 30 mg/day, positive symptoms and extrapyramidal side effects fell and attention and working memory improved more than with placebo; 200 mg/day did not differ from placebo. Negative symptoms did not improve with any treatment.
Row on the Pregnenolone page · PubMed 20584515 (opens PubMed)
Grade DNegative symptoms and cognition in schizophrenia (add-on) · Mixed
Pilot RCT · n 18 · 2009 · Adults with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder on stable second-generation antipsychotics
Fixed escalating doses up to 500 mg/day · 8 weeks
Negative symptoms (SANS) improved more than with placebo (p=0.048); composite cognitive scores did not differ.
Row on the Pregnenolone page · PubMed 19339966 (opens PubMed)

Read onRead the full evidenceThe full evidence chapter on its page, with every outcome and its sources.