What do you think of this study on monkeys suffering brain shrinkage from antipsychotics?
http://recoveryfromschizophrenia.org/blog/?p=3
Post mortems of schizophrenic brains show brain shrinkage which the "experts" have said are the results of the illness but these were all of people who had been on antipsychotics for a long time.
Shouldn’t a study be undertaken soon before more lives are ruined comparing non treated schizophrenics brains with treated ones.
I agree that it is of concern and there should be much more research done into mental illness generally.
However, I think you have to consider all the factors. Anti-psychotic drugs do help a lot of people to control their symptoms and lead more fulfilling lives. I do think there are two clear protocols to follow – don’t keep someone on medication that isn’t showing any benefit to them and regularly review the person’s need for the medication and the dosage. I’ve known some people keep very well on very small dosages of AP drugs.
February 11th, 2010 at 4:52 am
Yes, there should be many more mental health studies including what you mention. My own pet peeve, aside from the country not putting much resources into mental health research, is that bipolar seems to get the smallest slice of the pie, but that’s another story.
If it means much, there have been similar post-mortum studies of bipolar comparing unmedicated, medicated, and long-term Lithium medicated brains. Unmedicated showed the largest loss of grey matter and Lithiated showed the least (almost normal). More recent studies have also identified a similar trend w/white matter, however, loss of that is considerably less in bipolar than schiz.
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February 11th, 2010 at 5:34 am
I’d sooner take my anti-psychotics and live a longer, better life than if I didn’t take them. My life would be ruined if I stopped taking them.
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February 11th, 2010 at 5:52 am
I agree that it is of concern and there should be much more research done into mental illness generally.
However, I think you have to consider all the factors. Anti-psychotic drugs do help a lot of people to control their symptoms and lead more fulfilling lives. I do think there are two clear protocols to follow – don’t keep someone on medication that isn’t showing any benefit to them and regularly review the person’s need for the medication and the dosage. I’ve known some people keep very well on very small dosages of AP drugs.
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20 yrs working in mental health
February 11th, 2010 at 6:31 am
It is unclear to me that brain size has anything to do with brain function. What is known about the effects of medication on mental disorders is very little. Scientists get all "pumped up" over little advances in knowledge but the practical applications of these are minimal. See:
John Horgan;"The undiscovered mind, how the human brain defies replication, medication and explanation."; The Free Press, N.Y. NY, 1999
Good luck with your study of anti-psychotics, good mental health, peace and Love!
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A happy old man (76 yrs) who was diagnosed with schizophrenia paranoia over 40 years ago. I have been on medication almost continuously and have lived a fairly normal life due, primarily I think, to the TLC of family, friends, doctors, nurses and others. Med’s do help but they are no panacea. True I don’t have a "swelled head" but that is what "shrinks" are for! I do not seem to hallucinate any more.
February 11th, 2010 at 6:53 am
Anti-psychotics help a lot of people.
Get used to it.
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