Treating aggression in schizophrenic patients with the help of seroquel is effective, says a new study.
Schizophrenia is a chronic severe disabling mental illness. Some of the symptoms suffered by schizophrenia are hallucinations seen or heard, feelings of being persecuted, becoming withdrawn, and deranged behavior. Schizophrenia can be treated symptomatically, but only one in five patients have a chance of full recovery. Although most schizophrenic patients are not aggressive, the disease is often stigmatized as that renders the patients violent. Only a small percentage of patients of this disease are hostile or violent.Seroquel is a drug for antipsychotic treatment that can change the functions of the chemicals in the brain. The drug is generally used to treat patients with psychotic disabilities.
The new study done by researchers of Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Maranon, Spain, treatment with atypical antipsychotic seroquel (quetiapine) achieved significant benefit for aggressive episodes in schizophrenic patients. In aggressive behavior patterns of schizophrenia, the researchers reported that the effectiveness of seroquel more significant than the use of placebo. The patients not only found the medication effective, it was also well received by the body and tolerated without much side effects.
Reference: Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental, June 2005
