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Biology of Schizophrenia: Is Treatment Refractoriness Synonymous with Severity of Illness [A.K.A. Is This a Drug Efficacy Problem or an Expression of Severe Illness?]

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Treatment–Refractory Schizophrenia

Abstract

Approximately one-quarter of individuals develop schizophrenia in early childhood and adolescence. Typically, the course of illness in these patients is deteriorative. Moreover, longitudinal evaluation of chronic relapsing illness reveals evidence of neurodegenerative tissue loss. There is some evidence—albeit preliminary and somewhat controversial—that antipsychotic medications can obviate and/or ameliorate these changes. This chapter will describe the neurobiology of schizophrenia with a focus on the timing, evolution, and putative neurobiological correlates of treatment-refractoriness in schizophrenia.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil

    Helio Elkis

  2. Medical College of Georgia, Georgia Regents University, Augusta, GA, USA

    Peter F. Buckley

Authors
  1. Helio Elkis
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  2. Peter F. Buckley
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Correspondence to Helio Elkis .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Medical College of Georgia Dean’s Office, Georgia Regents University, Augusta, Georgia, USA

    Peter F. Buckley

  2. Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, National Psychosis Unit, London, United Kingdom

    Fiona Gaughran

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Elkis, H., Buckley, P.F. (2014). Biology of Schizophrenia: Is Treatment Refractoriness Synonymous with Severity of Illness [A.K.A. Is This a Drug Efficacy Problem or an Expression of Severe Illness?]. In: Buckley, P., Gaughran, F. (eds) Treatment–Refractory Schizophrenia. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-45257-4_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-45257-4_2

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-45256-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-45257-4

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