This paper reviews the available evidence concerning the side effects of atypical antipsychotics, including weight gain, type II diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia, QTc interval prolongation, myocarditis, sexual side effects, extrapyramidal side effects and cataract. Some rec­ ommendations about how to prevent and manage these side effects are also provided. It is concluded that atypical antipsy...

Background Atypical antipsychotics have been reported to induce neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS). The precise pathophysiologic mechanism is unknown but dopamine blockage is pivotal. The serotoninergic action of atypical antipsychotics may also been implicated because serotonin may inhibit dopamine release and worsen hypodopaminergic states. Amisulpride, which is a selective D2/D3 receptor a...

The majority of depressed patients do not experience sufficient response to their initial antidepressant medication. Augmentation strategies, particularly the use of atypical antipsychotics to augment selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), have proliferated over the last 15 years, and 2 atypical antipsychotics, aripiprazole and quetiapine, have received US Food and Drug Administration...

Schizophrenia is a clinical syndrome of variable, but profoundly disruptive, psychopathology that involves cognition, emotion, perception and other aspects of behavior The Remission in Schizophrenia Working Group (RSWG) has defined criteria for symptomatic remission based on achieving and maintaining a consistently low symptom threshold for at least six consecutive months. Aim of our study was ...

INTRODUCTION Extrapyramidal syndromes are significant side effects of antipsychotic therapy due to their severity, frequent occurrence and complications. This paper gives a brief summary of the literature with the emphasis on epidemiology, etiology, diagnosis and differential diagnosis, as well as the treatment of extrapyramidal disorders induced by antipsychotics. DYSTONIA Sustained muscle c...

Antidepressant therapies, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), are current first-line treatments for Major Depressive Disorder. However, over 50% of treated patients show an inadequate response to initial antidepressant therapy. If the therapeutic outcomes from two antidepressant therapies are suboptimal, potentially resulting in Treatment Resistant Depression, subsequent st...

Joel E. Streim, MD (Chair) J. Michael Ryan, MD Atypical Antipsychotics for the Management of Patients With Dementia and Psychotic Symptoms On August 18 and 19, 2003, two symposia entitled “Effective Management of Patients With Dementia and Psychotic Symptoms” and “Atypical Antipsychotic Drugs for the Treatment of Psychotic Symptoms of Dementia” were presented at the 11th International Congress ...

380 J Clin Psychiatry 58:9, September 1997 © Coyright 997 Phsicians Poraduate Pess, nc. ne pesonal opy ay be pinted social functioning, which far too many patients experience. The new atypical antipsychotics have attempted to put together the right blend of pharmacologic mechanisms and eliminate the misfits in order to compose an even better symphony than the one played by clozapine, so the new...

BACKGROUND Women prescribed antipsychotics face the dilemma on whether to continue medication in pregnancy in terms of balancing risks and benefits. Previous research on other psychotropic medications suggests that many women discontinue treatment in early pregnancy. However, very limited evidence exists on discontinuation of antipsychotic medication. METHODS We identified 495,953 pregnant wo...

Introduction Nowadays, In the exercise of psychiatric clinical activity, prescription atypical antipsychotics is a widespread practice. However, despite approval in treatment psychoses and bipolar affective disorder, where its effectiveness clearly demonstrated, these drugs are off-label prescribed most situations. Objectives This work aims to clarify which frequent conditions their more common...