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New Schizophrenia Drugs Show Promise |
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MONDAY, April 12 (HealthDayNews) -- A new generation of drugs called atypical antipsychotics appears to greatly reduce violent behavior in people with schizophrenia being treated in community-based centers, according to a Duke University Medical Center study.
The two-year study of 229 people found that schizophrenia patients who consistently took one of these newer drugs had less than a third the incidence of fighting or violence toward others, compared to schizophrenia patients who took older antipsychotic medications.
The study appears in the latest issue of Schizophrenia Bulletin.
The Duke researchers say this is the first study to examine the long-term impact of treatment with this newer class of antipsychotic drugs -- such as clozapine, risperidone and olanzapine -- on violent behavior in "real world" settings.
The study was funded by Eli Lilly and Co., which makes olanzapine.
More information
The National Alliance for the Mentally Ill has more about schizophrenia.
(SOURCE: Duke University, news release, April 12, 2004)
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