Effects of Anticholinergic Burden on Verbal Memory Performance in First-Episode Psychosis.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

Antipsychotics are widely used to treat first-episode psychosis but may have an anticholinergic burden, that is, a cumulative effect of medications that block the cholinergic system. Studies suggest that a high anticholinergic burden negatively affects memory in psychosis, where cognitive deficits, particularly those in verbal memory, are a core feature of the disease. The present study sought to replicate this in a large cohort of well-characterized first-episode psychosis patients. We expected that patients in the highest anticholinergic burden group would exhibit the poorest verbal memory compared to those with low anticholinergic burden and healthy controls at baseline (3 months following admission). We further hypothesized that over time, at month 12, patients' verb

SUBMITTER: Belkacem A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10657580 | biostudies-literature | 2023 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature