Full text: Download
Schizophrenia is a devastating mental disorder that has a large impact on the quality of life for those who are afflicted and is very costly for families and society.[1] Although the etiology of schizophrenia is still unknown and no cure has yet been found, it is treatable, and pharmacological therapy often produces satisfactory results. Among the various antipsychotic drugs in use, clozapine is widely recognized as one ofthe most clinically effective agents, even if it elicits significant side effects such as metabolic disorders and agranulocytosis. Clozapine and the closely related compound olanzapine are good examples ofdrug s with a complex multi-receptor profile ;[2] they have affinities toward serotonin, dopamine, a adrenergic, muscarinic, and histamine receptors, among others.