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A frequently prescribed antibiotic could possibly lower the risk of schizophrenia in young people, according to a new study. An international team of researchers, including researchers from the University of Edinburgh , discovered this by analysing extensive healthcare register data from Finland. The scientists examined data from more than 56,000 adolescents receiving antibiotics during mental health visits. They found that patients treated with doxycycline had a 30-35% lower chance of developing schizophrenia compared to those given different antibiotics . The team proposed that doxycycline, a 'broad-spectrum' antibiotic commonly used for infections and acne, might have this effect because of its influence on inflammation and brain development. Previous studies have demonstrated that doxycycline can decrease inflammation in brain cells and influence synaptic pruning, which is a natural process through which the brain refines its neural connections. Too much pruning has been associated with the development of schizophrenia, a serious mental disorder that typically appears in early adulthood and is often characterised by hallucinations and delusions. The team called these findings 'exciting', emphasising the possibility of repurposing an existing, widely used drug as a preventative against severe mental illness. Professor Ian Kelleher, study lead and professor of child and adolescent psychiatry at the University of Edinburgh, said: "As many as half of the people who develop schizophrenia had previously attended child and adolescent mental health services for other mental health problems. "At present, though, we don’t have any interventions that are known to reduce the risk of going on to develop schizophrenia in these young people. That makes these findings exciting. "Because the study was observational in nature and not a randomised controlled trial, it means we can’t draw firm conclusions on causality, but this is an important signal to further investigate the protective effect of doxycycline and other anti-inflammatory treatments in adolescent psychiatry patients as a way to potentially reduce the risk of developing severe mental illness in adulthood." A team from the University of Edinburgh, University of Oulu, University College Dublin, and St John of God Hospitaller Services Group conducted the research, funded by the Health Research Board. The results are published in the American Journal of Psychiatry. Get all the hottest shopping deals, cash-saving tips and money news straight to your phone by joining our new WhatsApp Community - The Money Saving Club. Just click this link to join https://crnch.it/eutplxS1 We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice here https://crnch.it/jeQqC872
