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Schizophrenia: treatment targets beyond monoamine systems
Hisham M Ibrahim1, Carol A Tamminga
1Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Southwestern, Dallas, 75390-9086, USA. Hicham.Ibrahim@utsouthwestern.edu
Annual Review of Pharmacology and Toxicology
|September 28, 2010
Summary
Schizophrenia is a syndrome of distinct symptom complexes, each requiring targeted treatments. This approach facilitates the development of more effective, individualized therapies for psychosis and cognitive dysfunction.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Schizophrenia is a complex syndrome with varied symptoms.
- Current treatments often fail to address all symptom domains effectively.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose schizophrenia as a syndrome composed of distinct symptom complexes.
- To advocate for targeted treatments for each component symptom complex.
- To explore the development of novel therapeutics based on distinct pathophysiology.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on schizophrenia symptom complexes.
- Analysis of clinical correlates and pathophysiology of psychosis and cognitive dysfunction.
- Examination of current and potential treatment strategies.
Main Results:
- Psychosis is a core component, appearing in young adulthood and responsive to antipsychotics.
- Cognitive dysfunction often precedes psychosis, is non-episodic, and poorly responsive to current antipsychotics.
- Development of targeted treatments for specific symptom complexes is feasible and theoretically advantageous.
Conclusions:
- Schizophrenia can be conceptualized as a collection of distinct symptom complexes.
- Targeted therapies for individual components, like psychosis and cognitive dysfunction, offer a promising treatment paradigm.
- Animal models can be refined to target specific symptom components for more effective drug development.
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