Use of psychiatric medications closely associated with the risk and progression of ALS: JAMA

A new study published in the Journal of American Medical Association showed that an increased risk of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) was linked to prediagnostic use of sedatives, antidepressants, hypnotics, and anxiolytics.

While a number of studies have indicated that people with a history of mental illnesses are more likely to be diagnosed with ALS, there is little and conflicting evidence linking the use of popular psychiatric drugs to ALS. Thus, the purpose of this study was to investigate if the risk and course of ALS are related to the prescribed use of popular psychiatric drugs, such as antidepressants, hypnotics and sedatives, and anxiolytics.

Based on the Swedish Motor Neuron Disease Quality Registry, this nationwide register-based case-control study was carried out in Sweden among all patients diagnosed with ALS between January 1, 2015, and July 1, 2023. These patients were matched for age and sex with up to five people who did not have ALS, as well as their spouses and full siblings.

Following diagnosis, ALS patients were monitored for a median (IQR) of 1.33 (0.64-2.37) years. Conditional logistic regression models were used to compare patients with ALS to population or relative control participants in order to evaluate the probability of ALS diagnosis linked to prediagnostic prescription usage of popular mental drugs. Following diagnosis, ALS patients were monitored to see whether prediagnostic prescription usage of popular mental drugs was associated with the advancement of the disease.