Abstract
A review article summarizes use of atypical antipsychotics (AAPs) in the treatment of schizophrenia in child and adolescent psychi-atry. It introduces basic studies on efficacy in this indication.
The efficacy of the majority of AAPs is mutually comparable; with the following exceptions: clozapine that demonstrated superior efficacy (specifically in treatment-resistant schizophrenia), ziprasidone, which showed inferior efficacy, and asenapine, the efficacy of which was unclear. The special attention is paid to lurasidone that was registered in the Czech Republic for adolescent schizophrenia at the newest (in August 2020), and joined the previously registered ari-piprazole and paliperidone in this indication.
Regarding side effects, weight gain and associated metabolic side effects seem to be the most serious ones. Olanzapine appears to cause the most significant weight gain, while aripiprazole, lurasidone and ziprasidone seem to cause benign weight changes only.