New therapies in SCHIZOPHRENIA

Abstract

Schizophrenia is a serious, chronic illness of the brain that affects approximately 1% of the general population. In the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM IV) schizophrenia is described as “a disturbance that lasts for at least 6 months and includes at least a month of active-phase symptoms (that is, two or more of the following: delusions, hallucinations, disorganised speech, grossly disorganised or catatonic behavior, negative symptoms)”.