Studies indicate that benzos like Xanax may lead to shrinkage of the brain over time.

Research suggests that long-term use of benzodiazepines could shrink certain regions of the brain. The findings support current guidelines regarding their usage; specifically warning against long-term usage. Benzodiazepines, more commonly referred to as “benzos,” are sedative drugs commonly prescribed to treat various conditions including insomnia, anxiety and seizure disorders. Their main aim is to slow the activity of the central nervous system – meaning brain and spinal cord activity – thus alleviating insomnia or anxiety symptoms. Relaxation drugs, like Xanax, have long been used to ease tension, soothe muscle spasms and induce sleepiness in individuals. While highly addictive, long-term use may increase memory and movement issues as research shows. As such, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advises benzodiazepine prescription at its minimum dose and duration needed to achieve desired clinical effects – typically two to four weeks. Though these concerns exist, evidence shows that between 6-15% of patients prescribed benzodiazepines use them for longer than six months. A new study published Monday by BMC Medicine highlights another caution related to prolonged benzo use: it could speed up natural age-related decline of two brain regions responsible for memory and mood regulation: the hippocampus and amygdala. Scientists Debunk Myth that Human Brains Are “Underdeveloped at Birth” Get all the world’s most incredible discoveries delivered right to your inbox!The researchers reviewed medical records of 5,443 adults living in the Netherlands that initially had no reported cognitive impairment. Scientists reviewed medical records between 1991 and 2008 to ascertain if and how often individuals took prescribed daily dosage of benzodiazepines – on average 37 times. The researchers discovered that approximately 50% of participants used benzodiazepines at some time between 2008 and 2020; approximately one-third went on to develop dementia within that same timeframe. Notably, people who took benzodiazepines were no more likely to develop dementia than those who hadn’t ever taken any, regardless of how often or for how long, according to research conducted by this team. These results contradict two prior analyses conducted by other research groups. Past analyses on this subject combined the findings from multiple studies conducted, but their methods differed, potentially distorting results, according to the team. Though the study didn’t demonstrate a relationship between benzos and dementia risk, physical brain changes associated with them, and approximately 4,800/5443 participants being followed up on over time – at least once for each of those with brain scans taken at least once over that time period – and physical changes found. These scans revealed changes to various structures within the brain over time and highlighted changes to volume changes across time for various brain structures, leading researchers to draw the conclusion that use of benzodiazepine was associated with an accelerated decrease in both volumes for hippocampus and amygdala structures. Simply stated, these structures contracted faster in those taking benzos versus those not taking any. Additionally, the team found variations in white matter tissue; which contains passageways between neurons that transmit signals between nerve cells. Participants taking sedative-hypnotics — also called sleep aids or hypnotics — for sleep problems saw faster reductions in white matter volume compared to those taking anxiolytics for anxiety relief, known as anxiolytics. Ilse vom Hofe, co-senior study author and doctoral candidate at Erasmus University Medical Center in The Netherlands told Live Science that her findings back up guidelines that suggest long-term use of benzodiazepines isn’t recommended. “[This study] should encourage health clinicians to investigate alternative therapies as an approach for dealing with problems people are facing instead of just prescribing benzodiazepines to mask symptoms,” noted the team, while acknowledging certain limitations inherent to its new research project. As their study only focused on people starting off “cognitively healthy,” it remains unknown whether benzos may have greater or fewer profound impacts in those suffering cognitive impairment. Furthermore, participants primarily consisted of white individuals, which could limit how applicable these results could be for other demographic groups. Overall, however, these findings demonstrate the need for further studies examining how long-term use of benzodiazepine could impact brain health, according to the team’s statements. Have questions about how the body works or why some people build muscle more easily than others, or why freckles appear with sun exposure? Email [email protected] with “Health Desk Q” as the subject line to get them answered here on Live Science!