Antipsychotics Do Not Improve Cognition in Early-Onset Schizophrenia

Young people with early-onset schizophrenia showed minimal neurocognitive improvements associated with treatment with atypical antipsychotic medications, and the small improvements that were demonstrated were consistent with practice effects as described in adults with chronic schizophrenia treated with antipsychotics.

That was the finding from the Treatment of Early-Onset Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders (TEOSS) study, whose results were published online March 15 in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. The results extend to early-onset patients the same disappointing results found for adults in the CATIE trials and other studies, refuting industry claims that atypical antipsychotics produce enduring improvements in cognition for patients with schizophrenia.

For more information about these findings, see Psychiatric News here.

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