Measures of treatment success in schizophrenia, with a focus on brexpiprazole: a narrative review Life engagement Brex
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schizophrenia, quality of life, recovery, efficacy, tolerability, adherence, response, remission
Abstract
Antipsychotic treatment for patients with schizophrenia is effective, but unmet needs remain. Main areas in which needs are present and treatment success can be measured are efficacy, tolerability, adherence, response, remission, life engagement, and recovery. Brexpiprazole is an atypical antipsychotic, which acts as a partial agonist on dopamine D2 receptors.
This narrative review will discuss brexpiprazole in the light of measures of treatment success. Specifically, available data on efficacy, tolerability, adherence, and response are explored. Recovery is currently not very well defined and seems hard to achieve for patients with schizophrenia with current treatments. Functional outcomes and life engagement are essential on the way to recovery. Life engagement is discussed in more detail, with an outlook of how this measure may make recovery a more concrete, tenable, and measurable process, potentially employed as an outcome in clinical trials and in clinical care.
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