Psychopharmacology of olanzapine: A review

The development of atypical antipsychotics has revolutionised the treatment of schizophrenia, as well as providing new insights into its cause. The archetypal atypical antipsychotic is clozapine, which has therapeutic advantages over traditional antipsychotics, as well as a low potential for produci...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:British journal of psychiatry 1999, Vol.174 (S38), p.52-58
Main Authors: Stephenson, C. M. E., Pilowsky, L. S.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Antipsychotics
Atypical
Blood
Clozapine
Drug therapy
Efficacy
Extrapyramidal system
Mental disorders
Neutropenia
Olanzapine
Psychopharmacology
Psychotropic drugs
Schizophrenia
Side effects
Citations: Items that this one cites
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:The development of atypical antipsychotics has revolutionised the treatment of schizophrenia, as well as providing new insights into its cause. The archetypal atypical antipsychotic is clozapine, which has therapeutic advantages over traditional antipsychotics, as well as a low potential for producing extrapyramidal side-effects (EPS) (Kane et al, 1988). However, clozapine causes agranulocytosis in 1% of patients, and there has consequently been a search for novel atypical antipsychotics, as efficacious as clozapine, but without the need for intensive blood monitoring. There has been much discussion of the definition and characteristics of an atypical antipsychotic drug, and an operational understanding seems to have been agreed upon, that atypical drugs have therapeutic efficacy in treating schizophrenia, without producing EPS (Deutch et al, 1991; Kerwin, 1994).
ISSN:0007-1250
1472-1465
DOI:10.1192/S0007125000298115