Minocycline for schizophrenia: a brief overview

The tetracyclic antibiotic minocycline appears to have positive results when added to the the treatment prescribed for persistent symptoms of schizophrenia. To provide an overview of the literature on minocycline and schizophrenia. PubMed, up to September 2013, was scanned for articles relating to minocycline and schizophrenia. We found seven case reports with regard to the use of minocycline as an additive in the treatment of persistent schizophrenia. Furthermore, an open-label study and two randomised placebo-controlled studies regarding this addition were published. Using minocycline may add to the improvement of negative symptoms and cognition in patients with schizophrenia. It is concluded, albeit somewhat cautiously, that minocycline may be helpful in treating negative and cognitive symptoms in schizophrenia.