Analysis of antipsychotic prescription patterns and anticholinergic drugs in patients with schizophrenia

Abstract

Schizophrenia is one of the top 15 causes of health burden in the world. The characteristics of its clinical presentation are positive and negative symptoms and cognitive impairment. In recent years, the goal of treatment for schizophrenia has been recovery, which requires improvement in the level of functioning, including cognitive dysfunction. Antipsychotic medication is the mainstay for managing schizophrenia, and psychosocial treatments, including cognitive-behavioural therapy, social skills training, assertive community treatment, supported employment, occupational therapy, and teaching illness, are helpful as well. Atypical antipsychotics, which have less adverse effects and potentially have superior effects on the negative and cognitive symptoms compared with the typical antipsychotics, were introduced in the 1990s and have become the first-line drugs for the treatment for schizophrenia. In spite of the superiority and wide distribution of the atypical antipsychotics, clinicians often attempt experimental use of high atypical antipsychotic doses, antipsychotic polypharmacy or augmentation in clinical practice hoping for early and robust responses when faced with patients having severe and disabling symptoms.