Atypical, or second-generation, antipsychotics have been used more and more over the last decade to treat schizophrenia in preference to older 'typical' drugs. But are they really any better? Researchers from the Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London reviewed 15 studies comparing the two kinds of drugs covering a total of 2,522 participants. They found no difference between the two types of drugs in terms of the number of people who stopped taking them and their effect on people's symptoms. People taking the newer drugs were more likely to put on weight while those on the older drugs were more likely to have side effects such as akinesia (inability to initiate movement) and akathisia (inability to sit still).
Crossley, Nicolas A. ... [et al] - Efficacy of atypical v typical antipsychotics in the treatment of early psychosis: meta-analysis British Journal of Psychiatry June 2010, 196(6), 434-439
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