Conclusion
This update of the WFSBP Guidelines for the biological
treatment of schizophrenia and the management
of treatment resistance summarizes the available
publications in this fi eld and provides evidencebased
treatment recommendations.
For the clinical psychiatrist, the knowledge about
the effi cacy of different antipsychotic drugs, their
combinations and different augmentation strategies
is of particular importance. Especially the consistent
fi nding that SGAs are not “magic bullets” and have
their own and individual side effect profi le, requires
particular consideration when treating patients with
these agents. There is no evidence for a general difference
between FGAs and SGAs in terms of effi -
cacy and effectiveness. However, some studies and
meta-analyses indicate superiority of SGAs with
regard to some symptom domains and treatment
continuation (the latter in fi rst-episode patients
especially). FGAs have a higher risk of inducing
neurological side effects, especially tardive dyskinesia,
which is often irreversible after stopping
medica tion (see part 2 of these guidelines), and is a
non-tolerable side effect. Some SGAs and some
FGAs carry an increased risk for developing a
metabolic syndrome with consequent associated
diseases.
Therefore, the consideration of side effects is
becoming increasingly important. Clinicians must
keep in mind that most patients may need lifelong
treatment and so require treatment strategies with the
optimal balance between effi cacy and tolerability.
To make these guidelines more comprehensive, we
have separated the guidelines in three parts, which
will be published consecutively. The second part will
address the long-term treatment of schizophrenia
and the third part will include specifi c treatment
circumstances (e.g., depression, pregnancy or substance-abuse).
Furthermore, we have included
evidence-based recommendation statements at the
beginning of the guidelines and at the end of each
chapter to give a fast, accessible and easy overview.
Even today, there is unsatisfying evidence for different
questions in the treatment of schizophrenia
and these questions need to be addressed in large
well-designed clinical trials. In recent years some
important trials (e.g., CATIE, CUtLASS, EUFEST)
have been published, but each of them has important
methodological limitations.
Several aspects, like the well-known link between
sponsorship and study outcome, the usage of various
dosage-ranges among studies, the unpopular publication
of negative results, different exclusion criteria
(especially when investigating treatment-resistant
schizophrenia) as well as many other factors could
bias the results of published studies.
However, there is a need for evidence-based
national and international treatment recommendations
and clinical psychiatrists and researches need
to re-evaluate their knowledge and their treatment
strategies regularly to provide the best possible treatment
for the patient.