Currently available antipsychotics provide only modest benefit in managing the cognitive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia even though these symptoms are often the most impairing in patients' daily lives. Certain antipsychotics may have slight benefits over others, and several nonpharmacologic and pharmacologic adjunctive treatments have been evaluated in recent clinical trials. Recently published meta-analyses and clinical studies of such treatments are reviewed. Potential strategies to manage cognitive and negative symptoms, including deprescribing of medications that may exacerbate these symptoms, are described using theoretical case examples.
Keywords: anticholinergic; antipsychotics; cognitive symptoms; negative symptoms; schizophrenia.
© 2022 AAPP. The Mental Health Clinician is a publication of the American Association of Psychiatric Pharmacists.