title: The treatment of schizophrenia: from premorbid manifestations to the first episode of psychosis.
abstract: To achieve the best therapeutic results in schizophrenia--like most other disorders--primary prevention is preferable to early and prompt treatment, which, in turn, is preferable to treatment of chronically established illness. Unfortunately, there currently exist no accurate markers that can provide information regarding the future course of illness and guide treatment in asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic individuals. Therefore, most treatment efforts are currently focused on patients who have already experienced their first psychotic episode. This paper reviews the efforts to identify accurate markers heralding psychotic illness, as well as treatment considerations in the early phase of the disease.
authors.affiliation: Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel. davidso@netvision.net.il
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Davidson
authors.forename: Asaf
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Caspi
authors.forename: Shlomo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Noy
mesh_terms: D042241:Early Diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*