Seroquel users: There's no link between schizophrenia and cannabis, study finds

As of late, there has been some debate in the medical community regarding whether or not smoking marijuana was linked to schizophrenia, prompting the need for Seroquel. However, new research from Harvard University professionals has found that this drug does not cause the brain disorder.

Overview of schizophrenia
Currently, experts are unsure of exactly what triggers the onset of schizophrenia. It is believed that the following factors play a role in development of the disorder:

• Genes, and their interactions with one's environment
• How the brain works, both chemically and structurally

There are a number of signs and symptoms that can clue doctors in on the need for treatment of schizophrenia, including:

• Psychotic behaviors, such as hallucinations and delusions
• Depression-like habits, such as the loss of interest in activities they once enjoyed
• Inability to focus, complete tasks or remember things

Once recognized and diagnosed, a health care professional will likely prescribe treatments and help the patient learn how to live with the disorder.

A look at the study
Researchers from Harvard Medical School wanted to take a closer look at any possible link between cannabis and schizophrenia due to the recent legalization of marijuana in certain states across the U.S. So, a group of 282 patients from the New York and Boston metropolitan areas underwent a controlled study. These individuals were split among four groups: non-psychotic controls without drug use, non-psychotic controls with marijuana use, schizophrenia patients without drug use and schizophrenia patients with cannabis use.

Based on the collected results, researchers concluded that there was no increased risk for schizophrenia due to cannabis. However, it is thought that smoking marijuana may have an effect on the age of onset for the brain disorder. Still, it does not cause it to occur.

"In general, we found a tendency for depression and bipolar disorder to be increased in the relatives of cannabis users in both the patient and control samples," researchers explained, according to PsychCentral. "This might suggest that cannabis users are more prone to affective disorders than their non-using samples or vice versa."

In order to learn more about these relationships, additional research would need to be completed.

Patients who suffer from schizophrenia may be prescribed Seroquel by their doctors, which can be purchased from Canadian pharmacies. While taking this antidepressant, it's important to contact a health care provider if users experience worsening symptoms of depression, suicidal tendencies or thoughts, as well as unusual changes to mood or behavior.