Advancements in Managing Schizophrenia through Classical Approaches, Mechanisms, and Deep Brain Stimulation

Schizophrenia is a heterogeneous neuropsychological disorder characterized by three distinct sets of symptoms: positive, negative, and cognitive. It carries significant public health implications and is estimated to affect up to 1% of the population. Despite extensive research, the underlying mechanisms of schizophrenia are not entirely understood, and existing antipsychotic treatments have notable limitations. Firstly, these treatments are effective for only approximately half of the patients. Secondly, they primarily alleviate positive symptoms such as misperceptions and thought disorders, which are core to the illness, while neglecting the negative symptoms like flat affect and social withdrawal, as well as cognitive symptoms such as learning and attention difficulties. Thirdly, these treatments come with significant neurofunctional and metabolic side effects, and in some cases, they can lead to issues like sexual dysfunction or agranulocytosis (in the case of Clozapine (CLZ)). In this review, we delve into currently available treatments for schizophrenia, with the utilization of Deep brain stimulation techniques to overcome the limitations of antipsychotics. We also discuss the major clinical trials for schizophrenia along with deep brain stimulation intervention.