title: Cognitive and functional effects of atypical antipsychotic medications.
abstract: Several meta-analyses and some direct comparative studies of atypical antipsychotics indicate that these medications may be more effective than conventional antipsychotic medications at enhancing cognition. However, differences in studies exist: short-term studies of cognitive enhancement may not provide similar results to long-term studies, while comparative studies are superior to meta-analyses. Direct measurement of changes in functional capacity may be a desirable study feature, and the population studied, including the treatment subjects receive, is likely to have a substantial impact on the results. Additionally, cognitive enhancement is not a stand-alone phenomenon. Depression and negative symptoms, for example, also affect an individual with schizophrenia and his or her functioning in the real world as opposed to within clinical studies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Philip D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Harvey
mesh_terms: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003071:Cognition / Q000187:drug effects*; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents