Bulgarian Journal of Psychiatry, 2019; 4(4):27-33

TREATMENT OF NEGATIVE SYMPTOMS – WHERE ARE WE AND HOW FAR WE CAN GO?

 Ivayla Kamenova, Rosica Vladimirova

Department of Psychiatry and Clinical Psychology, Medical Faculty, Medical University – Sofia

Abstract. The treatment of negative symptoms as manifestations of Schizophrenia remains a challenge in the current antipsychotic therapy. Their heterogenic genesis and manifestations are the probable obstacle for their appropriate treatment. The presented clinical case of Schizophrenia has the purpose to introduce a patient with persistent negative symptoms and follow-up of psychopathology and assessment of functioning trough the PANSS and GAF scales in a 16-week time frame. Treatment was performed with partial D2/D3 agonist – cariprazine and the positive results in terms of negative symptoms are probable due to influence upon secondary negative symptoms. Attention is drawn to the emerging need of conducting more prospective examinations and treatment in real clinical practice to be able to differentiate the effect on the primary and secondary negative symptoms, taking into account the methodological limitation in such observations.

Key words: negative symptoms, schizophrenia, antipsychotic treatment, cariprazine


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