To review the historical development of the psychopharmacological treatment of schizophrenia.
Method:
A chronological literature review of the clinical practices and theoretical models that have controlled drug treatment of schizophrenia at different times.
Results:
Effective treatment of schizophrenia was achieved only after the introduction of antipsychotic drugs, in the 1950s, and is still progressing.
Conclusion:
Close collaboration between basic neuroscience and careful and informed clinical practice are likely to lead to continued progress.
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