Antipsychotic drugs are an important part of the picture in most people’s journey to recovery from serious mental illness. They are also a complex piece of an approach to address the biology of these illnesses. The Treatment Advocacy Center’s backgrounder, "Antipsychotic Medications and the Brain ” updated in June 2016, demystifies the way these drugs act on the brain.As the backgrounder explains, “changes in brain structure are caused both by the disease process of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder and by the antipsychotic drugs used to treat these diseases.” Moreover, that these drugs produce changes to the structure of the brain should not surprise anyone. The backgrounder describes the following structural brain changes the drugs cause:
- Decreased brain volume with associated increased volume of the ventricles;
- Increase in size of the striatum; and
- Increased density of glial cells in the prefrontal cortex.
It is important to apply an informed perspective to understanding treatment for serious mental illnesses like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. One area of controversy remains the safety and impact of antipsychotic drugs – and with justification. However, not all criticisms are created equally, and as we know, antipsychotic drugs both require careful monitoring by physicians and have the potential to help change lives for the better for those experiencing psychosis.
The backgrounder can be an important tool towards informing community members, politicians, and media about antipsychotic medications, along with education about the many devastating consequences of non-treatment of serious mental illness.
For access to more of our backgrounders, which summarize information about severe mental illness, policies and programs related to its treatment, and the consequences of lack of treatment, visit the “Reports, Studies, Backgrounders” page on our website.
To comment, visit our Facebook page.
