Brain tissue changes and antipsychotic medication

Schizophrenia is associated with progressive brain changes, including progressive brain tissue decreases and lateral ventricular volume increases for up to at least 20 years after disease onset. In view of the fact that the vast majority of such patients are treated with antipsychotic medication and that recent non-human mammalian studies have reported an association between antipsychotic medication and brain tissue changes, the important question arises as to whether the brain changes seen in schizophrenia are associated with antipsychotic medication. The reviewed article presents structural magnetic resonance neuroimaging data relating to 211 patients with schizophrenia from the Iowa Longitudinal Study, which demonstrates that greater intensity of antipsychotic treatment was associated with indicators of generalized and specific brain tissue changes, after controlling for the effects of illness duration, illness severity and substance abuse. The study and its implications are discussed in the context of the current state of knowledge regarding the pathophysiology of schizophrenia.