Second-generation, or atypical, antipsychotic drugs used to treat children and adolescents with early-onset schizophrenia are no better than first-generation drugs according to a study of 119 young people by researchers at the University of North Carolina. The study compared the second-generation drugs olanzapine and risperidone to the first-generation one molindone. All three drugs had similar response rates and magnitude of reduction of symptoms and all three had frequent adverse effects. But the two atypical antipsychotics carried a significantly higher risk of weight gain and olanzapine led to a risk of increases in cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein, insulin and liver transaminase. Molindone was linked to a greater risk of akathisia (extreme and unpleasant restlessness). In the long-term the metabolic side effects of the medications could lead on to cardiovascular problems.
You can find out more about this research at
http://www.mentalhelp.net/poc/view_doc.php?type=news&id=113142&cn=7
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