Clozapine in Treatment of Schizophrenia

Abstract

The introduction of clozapine for the treatment of nonresponsive patients with schizophrenia has determined a real hope among patients,  families, and psychiatrists. This treatment is available and appears to be more effective than the standard or typical neuroleptics for many such treatment-resistant schizophrenic patients. A growing number of reports suggest that clozapine may also have a role in other psychiatric conditions such as manic episodes. Even though this review will focus on treatment-resistant positive symptoms, there is good evidence that psychosocial treatments, such as vocational rehabilitation and social skills training, can contribute to recovery of function once the debilitating psychotic, or positive,  symptoms are adequately treated.  The data from our study add to the growing evidence for the efficacy of clozapine in schizophrenia.