HealthDay News — There has been a sharp rise in the number of American seniors who take 3 or more medications that affect their central nervous system, according to a research letter published online February 13 in JAMA Internal Medicine.

The study looked at seniors’ use of antipsychotics, benzodiazepines, nonbenzodiazepine benzodiazepine receptor agonists, tricyclic antidepressants, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, and opioids. A review of U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data showed that the use of these drugs in people over 65 more than doubled from 2004 to 2013.