Therapizing Schizophrenia Therapies: How the Unmet Needs of TRS Patients Highlights the Need for Alternatives

​Schizophrenia is a disorder of which there is no known cause right now. The most researched theory is that there are increased levels of dopamine in the brain. Schizophrenia is generally treated with antipsychotics targeting the dopamine system to reduce the patient’s positive and cognitive symptoms. These medications do not effectively treat schizophrenia for all patients, so more research into alternative therapeutics is necessary. Treatment-resistant schizophrenia (TRS) occurs when patients don’t respond to the treatment they’ve been put on. Patients with TRS are at a higher risk of suicide or substance abuse as well as unemployment. Healthcare costs are also much higher for TRS patients than those with schizophrenia. As for treatment, if other medication for TRS patients does not aid in reducing their symptoms then clozapine is prescribed. Clozapine can reduce the risk of a relapse in symptoms, the risk of suicide, and the craving of substances. Combining antipsychotics can also be helpful in treatment. Some patients, however, do not respond to any of these treatments. This could be due to the treatment all targeting dopamine receptors as that is the widely studied cause of schizophrenia. Getting treatment for the patients who don’t respond to the existing ones means that there should be more exploring into the different causes of schizophrenia.