Current Treatment of Schizophrenia

Abstract

The aim of this thesis is to review the current pharmacological treatment of Schizophrenia. Schizophrenia is a complex psychiatric disorder with multifactorial etiology, it presents with characteristic positive and negative symptoms that require accurate diagnosis for optimal treatment outcomes. The primary therapeutic approach to schizophrenia management involves antipsychotic medications, which have evolved significantly since their discovery, progressing from first-generation agents (phenothiazines, butyrophenones, thioxanthenes) through second-generation medications (dibenzo-diazepine derivatives, benzioxazoles, benzamides) to third-generation antipsychotics such as aripiprazole and brexpiprazole. Long-acting injectable formulations represent an important advancement in treatment adherence. The landscape of schizophrenia pharmacotherapy continues to evolve, with emerging therapeutic targets and novel compounds such as xanomeline-trospium and brilaroxazine showing promise for improved efficacy and reduced side effect profiles.