Abstract
The role of neuroleptic drugs in the treatment of schizophrenia is still evolving even after thirty years of experience with these agents. Early claims that neuroleptics were curative or specifically anti-schizophrenic have been tempered by adoption of more rigorous diagnostic and outcome measures and by increasing awareness of long-term toxicities. At the present time, the following conclusions about the therapeutic role of neuroleptic drugs seem justified: 1) they provide symptomatic benefit for most but not all psychotic patients and are rarely if ever curative; 2) they are more effective in ameliorating positive or accessory psychotic symptoms such as hallucinations, delusions, thought disorder and agitation then negative symptoms such as flat affect, withdrawal, diminished motivation, etc. (Crow, 1980); 3) their efficacy in treating positive psychotic symptoms is not restricted to schizophrenia but is diagnostically nonspecific. This is consistent with the widespread use of neuroleptics in patients with affective and organic psychoses.
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Weinberger, D.R. (1984). The Implications of Cerebral Ventricular Size for Neuroleptic Therapy of Schizophrenia. In: Stancer, H.C., Garfinkel, P.E., Rakoff, V.M. (eds) Guidelines for the Use of Psychotropic Drugs. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-7618-7_14
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-7618-7_14
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