Treatment of schizophrenia

1. Progress in 25 years' history of the neuroleptics is briefly reviewed. 2. Development of certain butyrophenones more directly effective in "minus" symptoms of schizophrenia and introduction of depot neuroleptics is discussed. 3. Extrapyramidal motor side effects (EPMS) are still a serious problem in the treatment. 4. Clozapine does not have EPMS. This drug could therefore become the starting point of a series of less hazardous antipsychotic drugs. 5. The neuroleptics can be used as tools for exploration of the etiopathogenesis of schizophrenia. Some important pharmacological mechanisms, i.e. their antidopaminergic activity, are briefly outlined.