Schizophrenia Patients Benefit from Anti-Hypertension Drugs: Study

A new study has found that a single therapy of anti-hypertension improved symptoms of people with schizophrenia. The therapy was given over a single four-hour treatment of the drug sodium nitroprusside.

Schizophrenia is a chronic, severe, and disabling brain disorder that has affected people throughout history. People with this disorder hear voices that others don't hear. They may also believe that others are plotting against them. They may become agitated and withdraw themselves from society, according to National Institute of Mental Health. A recent study had found that high levels of glutamate in the brain may accelerate the progression of the condition.

The present study included 20 people with schizophrenia who were on antipsychotic medication. They were divided into two groups; with one getting the drug sodium nitroprusside and the other getting a placebo.

People who took the drug reported fewer hallucinations, lower anxiety and depression. The study was conducted by researchers at University of Alberta and their colleagues from Brazil. Researchers said that the drug, which has been around since the 1800s, affects the interaction of two chemical messengers in the brain.

"This opens a new line of research for the treatment of schizophrenia. Such rapid improvement of symptoms of schizophrenia could be very important to help patients in acute care and emergency settings," said Serdar Dursun, a researcher with the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry at the U of A, according to a news release.

The study is published in the journal JAMA Psychiatry.