Does treating schizophrenia reduce the chances of developing amyotrophic lateral sclerosis?
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Updated: Jul 15, 2026

Real-Time Fluorescent Measurement of Synaptic Functions in Models of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
Published on: July 16, 2021
Elijah W Stommel1, David Graber, Justin Montanye
1Department of Medicine, Section of Neurology, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, NH 03756, USA. elijah.w.stommel@hitchcock.org
Abstract:
The development of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in the relatively common psychiatric disorder schizophrenia is very rare. This observation has been made by us and a number of other neuromuscular specialists at large ALS centers. We propose that the use of neuroleptics and some antidepressants, which are chronically prescribed to schizophrenics and which have neuroprotective properties and some of which promote neurogenesis, may confer protection against this deadly neurodegenerative disease ALS. Such an observation may have important implications towards the therapy and understanding the pathophysiology of this deadly neurodegenerative disease.
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