Antipsychotic medications could cause aging-like symptoms

A small imaging study of individuals who took a common combination of medication to manage their psychosis finds that their brains underwent structural changes. In a clinical trial with 72 people, around half were assigned to treatment with a combination of generic Zoloft and generic Zyprexa, while the others took generic Zyprexa and a placebo. Neuroimaging of the two groups later revealed that those who received the combination treatment had lower cortical thickness, a symptom that is associated with aging. The scientists found a similar effect in those in the placebo group who relapsed after stopping treatment. The study was small, and only showed a possible link, but show the importance of balancing the benefit of treatment versus any adverse effects, the authors write.