<p>Yes, there are different results published because it is an open research question. It is a tricky question to figure out due to substantial confounding factors so some results might skew for and some against.</p>
<p>We know that brain volume changes due to natural reasons (age, lifestyle); different antipsychotics have different effects on different brain regions, and so does the illness and the duration of treatment. Usually, in a research study, you need to be able to control for all confounding factors to get (as much as you can) just the two variables you want: antipsychotic and brain volume. But it is challenging to do that in this case and so far, no one has been able to be conclusive about it.</p>
<p>Here's a systemic review of the papers that attempted to find the direction of effect and the answer is mixed results:</p>
<p>Psychological Medicine , Volume 40 , Issue 9 , September 2010 , pp. 1409 - 1422
DOI: <a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291709992297" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291709992297</a></p>
<p>and then a really nice letter in response that details some of the challenges that I mention above on why we do not know for sure (yet):</p>
<p><em>VAN HAREN NEELTJE, KAHN RENÉ. Letter to the Editor: A comment on ‘A systematic review of the effects of antipsychotic drugs on brain volume’ by Moncrieff &amp; Leo (). Psychological Medicine. 2010;40(12):2105-2107. doi:10.1017/S0033291710001686</em></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-12-19T16:58:48.277Z
2023-12-19T16:58:48.277Z
researcher145212
<p>Dopamine availability can increase neurogenesis/neuroplasticity in adult brains. Antipsychotic medications, therefore, may have the opposite effect.</p>
<p>Borta, A., &amp; Höglinger, G. U. (2007). Dopamine and adult neurogenesis. Journal of neurochemistry, 100(3), 587–595. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1471-4159.2006.04241.x" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1471-4159.2006.04241.x</a></p>
<p>Nitsche, M. A., Kuo, M. F., Grosch, J., Bergner, C., Monte-Silva, K., &amp; Paulus, W. (2009). D1-receptor impact on neuroplasticity in humans. The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience, 29(8), 2648–2653. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.5366-08.2009" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.5366-08.2009</a></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-03-12T17:58:36.243Z
2024-03-12T17:58:36.243Z
Yuri Zavorotny
<p>I have read numerous different papers each claiming that antipsychotic medication either helps maintain brain volume or causes brain volume reduction in patients with schizophrenia and other psychotic psychiatric disorders. I have to admit that I am confused on this subject. What is the clinically accepted position on brain volume and antipsychotic medication?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-03-26T18:02:22.693Z
Interesting question. Welcome to cogsci.SE!
Nick Stauner
<neurology><schizophrenia><neuroanatomy><brain-development>
What are the effects of antipsychotic medication on brain volume?
Cromulent
# What are the effects of antipsychotic medication on brain volume?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2014-03-26)

I have read numerous different papers each claiming that antipsychotic medication either helps maintain brain volume or causes brain volume reduction in patients with schizophrenia and other psychotic psychiatric disorders. I have to admit that I am confused on this subject. What is the clinically accepted position on brain volume and antipsychotic medication?

**Tags:** neurology, schizophrenia, neuroanatomy, brain-development

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Interesting question. Welcome to cogsci.SE!  

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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2023-12-19. Score: 2

Yes, there are different results published because it is an open research question. It is a tricky question to figure out due to substantial confounding factors so some results might skew for and some against.

We know that brain volume changes due to natural reasons (age, lifestyle); different antipsychotics have different effects on different brain regions, and so does the illness and the duration of treatment. Usually, in a research study, you need to be able to control for all confounding factors to get (as much as you can) just the two variables you want: antipsychotic and brain volume. But it is challenging to do that in this case and so far, no one has been able to be conclusive about it.

Here's a systemic review of the papers that attempted to find the direction of effect and the answer is mixed results:

Psychological Medicine , Volume 40 , Issue 9 , September 2010 , pp. 1409 - 1422
DOI: <https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291709992297>

and then a really nice letter in response that details some of the challenges that I mention above on why we do not know for sure (yet):

*VAN HAREN NEELTJE, KAHN RENÉ. Letter to the Editor: A comment on ‘A systematic review of the effects of antipsychotic drugs on brain volume’ by Moncrieff & Leo (). Psychological Medicine. 2010;40(12):2105-2107. doi:10.1017/S0033291710001686*


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### Answer by username_3 on 2024-03-12. Score: 1

Dopamine availability can increase neurogenesis/neuroplasticity in adult brains. Antipsychotic medications, therefore, may have the opposite effect.

Borta, A., & Höglinger, G. U. (2007). Dopamine and adult neurogenesis. Journal of neurochemistry, 100(3), 587–595. <https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1471-4159.2006.04241.x>

Nitsche, M. A., Kuo, M. F., Grosch, J., Bergner, C., Monte-Silva, K., & Paulus, W. (2009). D1-receptor impact on neuroplasticity in humans. The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience, 29(8), 2648–2653. <https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.5366-08.2009>


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