The Pharmacologic Treatment of Schizophrenia: A Progress Report (original) (raw)

Pharmacological Treatment of Schizophrenia

A Guide to Treatments that Work, 2007

Schizophrenia is a chronic mental disorder with a lifetime prevalence rate of approximately 1%. The first antipsychotic drug, chlorpromazine, was introduced in 1954, followed by several similar drugs. With the later introduction of clozapine, risperidone, olanzapine, quetiapine, ziprasidone, and aripiprazole, antipsychotic drugs have come to be classified as conventional (chlorpromazine-like) or atypical (clozapine-like). Both of these broad classes of medications have been demonstrated to safely improve psychotic symptoms in the acute phase of the illness and reduce risk of relapse in the maintenance phase of treatment. The atypical antipsychotics offer hope for enhanced efficacy in the treatment of schizophrenic psychopathology with a reduced burden of extrapyramidal motor dysfunction. Because of the limited efficacy of antipsychotic medication in resolving the full range of schizophrenic psychopathology, adjunctive treatments are often used to reduce morbidity. Concomitant medica...

Pharmacological treatment of schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders

American Psychological Association eBooks, 2019

associated with poor clinical outcomes. Comprehensive, integrated pharmacological and psychosocial treatments have been shown to improve these outcomes. While a growing number of studies suggest that second-generation antipsychotic medications may have beneficial effects on the treatment of co-occurring sub

Important Issues in the Drug Treatment of Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia Bulletin, 1980

The large body of research demonstrating the effectiveness of antipsychotic drugs in the treatment of acute schizophrenia is selectively reviewed. Research evidence relevant to the following issues is assessed; indications for selective treatment; characteristics of drug responders and nonresponders; indications for high dosage phenothiazine treatment; indications for maintenance therapy; benefits and risks of antipsychotic drugs. Recommendations are made concerning anas of psychopharmacologic research that require further development.

The Mount Sinai Conference on the Pharmacotherapy of Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia Bulletin, 2002

This report summarizes the recommendations from a consensus meeting that focused on specific questions regarding the pharmacotherapy of schizophrenia. The issues were selected because there was evidence that experts had recently disagreed about the evidence supporting a particular practice or when there were substantial variations in a clinical practice indicating that there was disagreement among clinicians. The group of experts was able to reach a consensus regarding the evidence base pertaining to the following issues: First generation (FGAs) and second generation (SGAs) antipsychotics as first line agents; the duration of antipsychotic trials; the effectiveness of clozapine and other agents for treatment refractory schizophrenia; risk of tardive dyskinesia on FGAs and SGAs; differences among antipsychotics for different dimensions of psychopathology; and side effect monitoring for various antipsychotics.

New Drug Treatment Strategies in Schizophrenia: Editorial Introduction

Schizophrenia Bulletin, 1983

The recognition of both the value and limitations of antipsychotic drug treatment has led to research on effective alternative strategies for treatment. The authors review assumptions underlying such strategies and introduce five articles pertinent to the topic. These articles address: the use of drugs other than antipsychotic neuroleptics; the use of reduced dosages of antipsychotic drugs; the initiation of antipsychotic drugs early during periods of symptom exacerbation to prevent full relapse; the use of psychosocial treatment strategies in relation to drug treatment; and the development of antipsychotic drugs following models based on restitutive systems in the brain.

Pharmacotherapy for treatment-resistant schizophrenia

Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment, 2011

Schizophrenia is a disabling mental illness with a lifetime prevalence of 0.7% worldwide and significant, often devastating, consequences on social and occupational functioning. A range of antipsychotic medications are available; however, suboptimal therapeutic response in terms of psychotic symptoms is common and affects up to one-third of people with schizophrenia. Negative symptoms are generally less amenable to treatment. Because of the consequences of inadequate symptom control, effective treatment strategies are required for people with treatment-resistant schizophrenia. Clozapine has been shown to be more effective than other antipsychotics in treatment-resistant populations in several studies; however, the occurrence of adverse effects, some of which are potentially life-threatening, are important limitations. In addition to those who are intolerant to clozapine, only 30% to 50% experience clinically significant symptom improvement. This review describes the recent evidence for treatment strategies for people not responding to nonclozapine antipsychotic agents and people not responding or only partially responding to clozapine.

REVIEW ARTICLE *Corresponding Author: Pharmacotherapy of Schizophrenia: Ploypharmacy Approaches

2010

Schizophrenia is a debilitating illness, rating as one of the leading causes of lost years of quality of life. The illness imposes a disproportionate burden on patients and their families, healthcare systems and society. Pharmacological management is the cornerstone of treatment of schizophrenia, and antipsychotics, both first generation of antipsychotics and second generation of antipsychotics, are efficacious in reducing levels of psychopathology in acute episodes of schizophrenia. Clearly a need for innovative treatment strategies in schizophrenia that will ensure increased effectiveness against negative symptoms and cognitive dysfunction dysfunction. Therefore, in majority of cases polypharmacy is one of the effective approaches. This review focused on polypharmacy in the treatment of schizophrenia and in particular negative symptoms.

Drug treatments for schizophrenia

2000

This paper summarises the research evidence presented in a recent issue of EVective Health Care on drug treatments for schizophrenia. 1