title: Is intermittent, early intervention medication an alternative for neuroleptic maintenance treatment?
abstract: Neuroleptic maintenance medication is clearly effective for relapse prevention in schizophrenia. However, besides benefits for the majority of patients, there are also failures and/or risks for some patients (e.g. tardive dyskinesia). Since the risk-benefit ratio is often difficult to predict in the individual case, this has stimulated the search for modifications and alternatives to maintenance treatment. In particular, neuroleptic low-dose treatment strategies compare favorably with standard-dose treatment concerning relapse prevention and side effects. Alternatively, based on prodromal symptoms preceding a relapse, early intervention, intermittent neuroleptic treatment strategies have been developed. However, all recently completed controlled 2 year studies have not confirmed this strategy to be as effective as maintenance treatment in preventing relapse. Therefore, for the majority of patients intermittent treatment cannot be recommended.
authors.affiliation: Psychiatrische Klinik, Heinrich-Heine-Universität, Rheinische Landes- und Hochschulklinik, Düsseldorf, Germany.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Gaebel
mesh_terms: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D012008:Recurrence; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000517:prevention & control; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents