Abstract
One of the major developments in the treatment of schizophrenia in general, with special implications for the treatment of schizophrenia in late life, is that of novel antipsychotic medications. This chapter describes the promise of the newer medications and some of the controversies regarding their use and evaluates their benefits for treating older patients with schizophrenia. Newer antipsychotic medications have multiple benefits for patients with schizophrenia, and these benefits would appear to be even more substantial in older patients. Although there are clear suggestions of clinical and cognitive benefits relative to older medications, which could result in changes in functional outcome for older patients, the biggest potential benefit is in the domain of side effects. The fact that risk for extrapyramidal symptoms is reduced leads to reduced need to "treat" this side effect with medications that impair memory. In addition, the fact that the risk for tardive dyskensia is so markedly low is enough reason to suggest that no older patient with psychosis should ever be treated with conventional antipsychotic medications. At the same time, substantial research is needed to fully determine the benefits of treatment with newer medications for older patients with schizophrenia. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2009 APA, all rights reserved)