Commonly Prescribed Medications That Can Change Your Brain Structure!

Steroids can alter brain structure, according to a new study on commonly prescribed medications. Brain scans of nearly 25,000 individuals revealed that patients taking glucocorticoids have less white matter—the tissue that connects different parts of the brain. Dutch academics stated that their "remarkable" findings might explain the connection between these medications and neurological issues. Steroids are routinely prescribed to all asthma, arthritis, and eczema patients. However, known side effects include anxiety, mood swings, and depression. Although it has never been conclusively proven, it is widely believed that the steroids themselves are the cause of these debilitating symptoms. The new study, published in BMJ Open, does not definitively prove that the medications are responsible. Nevertheless, evidence from Leiden University experts provides a potential mechanism that could explain the side effects. Professor Ono Meijer and colleagues indicated that glucocorticoids likely cause changes in the brain. More research is needed to confirm the findings, as the precise implications of these changes remain unclear. However, they argued that the results may partially stem from the neurological and psychological side effects observed in patients using glucocorticoids. Common types include beclomethasone (for asthma) and betamethasone (for arthritis). They work by suppressing the immune system, which becomes overactive and leads to conditions such as arthritis, asthma, and eczema. The researchers examined data from 24,885 individuals included in the UK Biobank. The database contains health information from half a million Britons who underwent dozens of tests and lifestyle assessments. Around 222 volunteers used systemic steroids, 557 used inhaled steroids, and 24,106 did not use any steroids. None of them were diagnosed with neurological diseases or had taken mood-altering drugs, such as antidepressants. Professor Meijer and his team compared MRI brain scans and mood questionnaires. Steroid users had "lower integrity" of white matter compared to participants who did not take the medications. Long-term use of glucocorticoids and taking medications in pill or injection form, rather than inhaled versions, was associated with the greatest decrease in white matter. Meanwhile, those using inhaled steroids had a smaller brain volume. Those who used systemic steroids performed worse on tests measuring processing speed compared to non-users. They also reported higher rates of depression, insomnia, and fatigue than non-users. Inhaled steroid users reported feeling more stressed than non-users. The team noted that some questions regarding participants' mood were only posed to them, and the decline in happiness levels might be attributed to their medical conditions rather than the prescribed medications for their treatment.