Olanzapine treatment in chronic drug-resistant childhood-onset schizophrenia: an open-label study.

The use of typical antipsychotics is limited in children with schizophrenia, owing to the high rate of response failure and early appearance of extrapyramidal syndromes as well as tardive and withdrawal dyskinesia. The aim of the present study was to examine the effectiveness of the atypical antipsychotic olanzapine in the treatment of childhood-onset schizophrenia. The study sample included nine children hospitalized for schizophrenia who had proven refractory to treatment with at least two antipsychotic drugs.