Antipsychotic drugs are most commonly used to treat mental health conditions like schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, but they’re also often prescribed to patients with Alzheimer’s or dementia to alleviate some of the most difficult symptoms.
However, this may come with some negative side effects: A new study finds that people with dementia who were using antipsychotic drugs were more likely to spend time in the hospital than those who weren’t on antipsychotics.
The study, conducted by researchers at the University of Eastern Finland, examined the use of two common antipsychotics, risperidone and quetiapine, over the course of two years. People using the drugs had, on average, experienced about 11 more days in the hospital compared to those not using them.
