Highlights
Drug Approvals
- In 2007, the Food and Drug Administration approved risperidone (Risperdal) and aripiprazole (Abilify) for treatment schizophrenia in teenagers. These drugs are the first atypical antipsychotics approved specifically for children.
- Paliperidone (Invega) is the newest atypical antipsychotic drug approved for treatment of schizophrenia in adults. Paliperidone is chemically related to risperidone.
Diabetes Risk and Atypical Antipsychotics
- In 2007, the manufacturer of olanzapine (Zyprexa, Symbex) added new warnings to the drug’s prescribing label. The new label reflects that olanzapine appears to cause high blood sugar, a risk factor for diabetes, more than other atypical antipsychotics. Olanzapine can also cause weight gain and increased levels of triglycerides and total cholesterol.
- Aripiprazole and ziprasidone (Geodon) cause less weight gain and fewer risks for metabolic problems than other atypical antipsychotics, indicates a 2007 study in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry.
- All patients who are treated with atypical antipsychotic drugs should be monitored regularly for changes in blood sugar and cholesterol levels.
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation
Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is an investigational technique that is showing promise in helping quiet the voices associated with auditory hallucinations, according to a 2007 review of clinical trials. About 50 - 80% of people with schizophrenia experience auditory hallucinations. With rTMS, an electromagnet is placed on the scalp, which generates magnetic pulses that stimulate the brain’s cerebral cortex. Further clinical studies are currently being conducted at various research centers.
