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| A Bachelors Drawer (apparently) @ Wikipedia |
That was the finding from the systematic review and meta-analysis undertaken by Oya and colleagues [1] looking at the collected literature on the use of "minocycline augmentation therapy in patients with schizophrenia receiving antipsychotic agents". Augmentation therapy by the way, refers to the addition of minocycline to existing pharmacotherapy for schizophrenia.
I wasn't all that surprised to read the Oya paper given that for some time now, there have been scientific rumblings about how antibiotics might do quite a bit more than just 'killing bacteria' [2]. "Scientists shocked" was how one media report has previously talked about this area of research; which conjures up all-manner of visions of stunned science-types walking around with lab coats on and mouths and eyes wide open in amazement.
The reports that minocycline might act on the negative symptoms of schizophrenia (see here) is also quite an important detail, because these are often the symptoms which affect daily living skills, potentially manifesting as "losing interest and motivation in life and activities, including relationships and sex... [and a] lack of concentration, not wanting to leave the house and changes in sleeping patterns". These are also the symptoms which tend to respond less well to traditional management strategies like medication.
The final question(s) are how and why does minocycline affect cases of schizophrenia? The paper from Zhang and Zhao [3] (open-access) provides quite a good overview of the various hypotheses put forward. Unsurprisingly, some effect on inflammation figures quite strongly in the suggestions put forward. I could go on and on and on about the various research in this area (see here for example) but won't on this occasion. Instead, I'll direct you to a previous post I wrote on minocycline and Fragile X syndrome (see here) which mentions some effect from minocycline on matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9). I'd like to think that this is a potentially important point because of the tie-in with something like homocysteine (see here), the big H, which has also been mentioned with schizophrenia in mind (see here). Just speculatin' of course.
Music to close. Frank Sinatra and something about a lot of coffee in Brazil?
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[1] Oya K. et al. Efficacy and tolerability of minocycline augmentation therapy in schizophrenia: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Hum Psychopharmacol. 2014 Aug 4.
[2] Levkovitz Y. et al. A double-blind, randomized study of minocycline for the treatment of negative and cognitive symptoms in early-phase schizophrenia. J Clin Psychiatry. 2010 Feb;71(2):138-49.
[3] Zhang L. & Zhao J. Profile of minocycline and its potential in the treatment of schizophrenia. Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat. 2014 Jun 17;10:1103-11.
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Oya K, Kishi T, & Iwata N (2014). Efficacy and tolerability of minocycline augmentation therapy in schizophrenia: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Human psychopharmacology PMID: 25087702
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