Association Between Antipsychotic Medication Use and Dementia Risk in Patients With Schizophrenia or Schizoaffective Disorder.

This article investigates the association between antipsychotic prescriptions and incident dementia in patients aged 50 and older diagnosed with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder. Using a retrospective cohort design with data from over 7,300 patients, the study found that antipsychotic prescriptions were associated with a 92% increased risk of developing dementia compared to no antipsychotic use, particularly among those aged 50-64, while no significant association was observed in patients aged 65 and older. The type of antipsychotic (first-generation versus others) did not affect dementia risk, but a higher number of prescriptions correlated with greater risk. These findings were robust after controlling for confounding factors, including proxies for schizophrenia severity, and suggest a potential dose-response relationship between antipsychotic use and dementia incidence in this population.