Impact of Anticholinergic Medication Burden on Cognition in Schizophrenia in the Consortium on the Genetics of Schizophrenia (COGS-2) Study

Anticholinergic medications are associated with increased dementia risk in longitudinal studies of cognitively normal older adults. While psychotropic medications commonly used in the treatment of schizophrenia (SZ), including antipsychotics, mood stabilizers, antidepressants, and sedative/hypnotics have variable anticholinergic properties their cumulative effect in SZ has not been comprehensively characterized. Since cognitive impairment is a core feature of SZ, excessive anticholinergic medication burden may further compromise cognitive functioning.