Anxiety and sleep problems affect millions of people around the world. Doctors often prescribe medicines called benzodiazepines to help people feel calmer or sleep better.
Well-known examples include Valium and Xanax.
These medicines work quickly and can be very helpful when used for a short time, but doctors have long worried about their safety when taken for months or years.
A new study from researchers at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich has helped explain why long-term use of these medicines may cause memory and thinking problems. The findings improve our understanding of how benzodiazepines affect the brain and may lead to safer treatments in the future.
The research showed that the brain’s communication system can be damaged after long-term exposure to these drugs. Brain cells communicate through tiny connections called synapses. These connections allow us to learn, remember information, make decisions, and carry out everyday tasks. Healthy synapses are essential for normal brain function.
The scientists found that benzodiazepines can start a chain of events that reduces the number of these important connections. The drugs attach to a protein called the translocator protein, or TSPO, which is found on immune cells in the brain known as microglia. These cells normally protect the brain by removing damaged cells and helping maintain healthy brain tissue.
When benzodiazepines activate TSPO, the microglia become more active and begin removing synapses. Over time, this reduces the number of connections between nerve cells. As these connections disappear, the brain becomes less able to process and store information, which may lead to memory problems and possibly increase the risk of dementia, especially in older adults.
To test this idea, the researchers gave mice daily doses of diazepam, the active ingredient in Valium, for several weeks. During the study, they monitored the animals’ brains and tested their memory. The mice gradually developed memory problems while also losing synapses, supporting the idea that the drug was directly affecting brain connections.
There was also encouraging news. After the mice stopped taking diazepam, some of the lost synapses returned. This suggests that at least part of the damage may be reversible if the medicine is discontinued, although more research is needed to determine whether the same level of recovery happens in people.
The findings are particularly important for older adults. As people age, they naturally lose some synapses over time. Long-term use of benzodiazepines could speed up this process, increasing the chance of memory decline or other thinking problems. This may help explain why doctors often recommend avoiding prolonged use of these medicines in older patients.
The study does not mean benzodiazepines should never be used. They remain valuable medicines for treating severe anxiety, panic attacks, and short-term insomnia. For many people, the benefits clearly outweigh the risks when the drugs are used for a limited time and under medical supervision.
The researchers believe their work could help scientists develop new anxiety and sleep medicines that do not damage synapses. It also reminds doctors and patients to carefully weigh the benefits and risks of long-term treatment.
Anyone taking benzodiazepines regularly should speak with their healthcare provider before making any changes, as these medicines should never be stopped suddenly without medical advice.
If you care about brain health, please read studies that eating apples and tea could keep dementia at bay, and Olive oil: a daily dose for better brain health.
For more health information, please see recent studies what you eat together may affect your dementia risk, and time-restricted eating: a simple way to fight aging and cancer.
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