This handy table lists the medications most often used to treat insomnia.

If patients are stable on olanzapine (Zyprexa), quetiapine (Seroquel), or risperidone (Risperdal) but are experiencing adverse metabolic effects, it might make sense to switch to a medication that has a lower risk of causing such effects. But would such a switch reduce obesity and cholesterol at the risk of a relapse?

Using combination antipsychotic treatment has become more common over the years, presumably reflecting a common sense theory that in refractory patients, two medications might be more effective than one. But studies thus far of the practice have been small and inconclusive.

Lurasidone (Latuda) was approved by the FDA for schizophrenia in October 2010 and is the 10th atypical antipsychotic in our toolbox. The key question is: does lurasidone have any advantages over existing agents, or is it just another “me-too” drug?

In what ways, if any, are cognitive problem a distinct feature of schizophrenia? And how can we use this information to guide treatment?

Dr. Carpenter, you are a member of the DSM-5 work group that is considering risk syndrome for first psychosis, or what is now called “attenuated psychosis syndrome” as a new diagnosis in the manual.

A study has been published that appears to show that antipsychotic treatment actually shrinks the brain.

Clinical folklore (and occasional drug reps) have suggested that depot antipsychotics have adherence advantages over their oral counterparts.

Second generation antipsychotics have developed a reputation for being more effective for treating a number of the symptoms of schizophrenia than their first generation counterparts, even if research doesn’t always back up this claim.

They used to be called “depot” antipsychotics, but the powers that be have renamed them “long acting injectables” (LAIs), presumably to help remove some of the stigma associated with their use. But no matter what you call them, suddenly every drug company is racing to introduce its own LAI neuroleptic.