title: [Atypical antipsychotic drugs].
abstract: In recent years several new antipsychotics have come to market in the Netherlands (i.e. risperidone, olanzapine and quetiapine). These compounds are called atypical for their lack of the extrapyramidal side effects typical of older antipsychotics. Clozapine, which was developed earlier, is also an atypical antipsychotic drug. The new antipsychotics have proven to be more effective than the old ones in reducing the negative symptoms and in improving the cognitive deficits of schizophrenia. Moreover, they indeed induce less extrapyramidal side effects than the older antipsychotics. Head-to-head comparisons of the atypical antipsychotics are sparse. Studies comparing low-dose regimens of the typical antipsychotics with the atypical drugs as well as relapse prevention studies are needed before it can be decided whether the atypical drugs can replace the older compounds.
authors.affiliation: Universitair Medisch Centrum, afd. Psychiatrie, Utrecht. r.kahn@psych.azu.nl
authors.forename: R S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Kahn
mesh_terms: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001569:Benzodiazepines; D003024:Clozapine / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003987:Dibenzothiazepines / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D009426:Netherlands; D000077152:Olanzapine; D010890:Pirenzepine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011600:Psychopharmacology / Q000639:trends*; D000069348:Quetiapine Fumarate; D018967:Risperidone / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000188:drug therapy*; D018490:Serotonin Agents / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D003987:Dibenzothiazepines; D018490:Serotonin Agents; D001569:Benzodiazepines; D000069348:Quetiapine Fumarate; D010890:Pirenzepine; D003024:Clozapine; D018967:Risperidone; D000077152:Olanzapine