[Argentine consensus on the diagnosis and therapeutics of treatment resistant schizophrenia].

Approximately 30% of people with schizophrenia fail to respond to first-line antipsychotic treatment which impacts the burden of the disease. Treatment-resistant schizophrenia (TRS) denotes patients with failure to respond to at least two adequate trials of different antipsychotics. Clozapine is a unique drug approved for treating treatment-resistant schizophrenia, however 1/3 of patients fail to respond to clozapine.

[Schizophrenia according to DSM-5].

The system of classification of psychiatric disorders has evolved during the last half-century. This article briefly reviews the modifications of the structure of the chapter "Schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders" in DSM-5; then analyzes in detail the changes that were specifically made for schizophrenia. Among them, the fundamentals are: a) the elimination of the special treatment of bizarre delusions and hallucinations of Schneiderian "first rank", b) the clarification of the definition of negative symptoms, and c) the addition of the requirement that at least one of the two required characteristic symptoms should be disorganized speech, hallucinations or delusions.

[Evolution of antipsychotics and their use in the treatment of schizophrenia. What's up, doc?].

The modern era in the treatment of psychoses began with the synthesis of chlorpromazine in 1950. In the '60s it was already known that first generation antipsychotics were quite effective to reduce the positive symptoms of schizophrenia and allowed the de-institutionalisation of many people. In the '70s and '80s, research focused mainly on indications of antipsychotics and the benefits and risks of long-term pharmacotherapy.

[Metabolic syndrome induced by antipsychotic drugs. The problem of obesity].

Schizophrenic patients have a life expectancy 20% shorter than general population, mainly due to cardiovascular disease. Several risk factors for cardiovascular disease are modifiable, and some, like blood glucose and lipids, and weight, can be worsened by antipsychotic drugs, mainly second generation ones. This article reviews the concept of metabolic syndrome and its relationship with schizophrenia and antipsychotic drugs.

[How do Argentinean psychiatrists treat depression?].

Objective: The objective of this study was to examine the prescribing practices of Argentinean psychiatrists in the treatment of major depression and to observe similarities and/or differences with some consensus or treatment guidelines.

Methodology: Four hundred two psychiatrists were surveyed during a specialty meeting in October 2005.

Results: A total of 88.

[Adverse effects of psychiatric drugs on glucose and lipids metabolism].

Psychiatric drugs bring indeniable benefits for the treatment of psychiatric disorders. But their use can come along with a varying degree of side effects, some of them known for a long time, and some that are at present starting to focus attention. In this group we can find metabolic side effects, because of their possible relationship with the mortality of patients with severe psychiatric disorders.