Journal of Behavioral Health and Psychology. 2021;
10(4):(314-329)
A case of chronic schizophrenia with emergent dementia: Successful medication reduction and its explication
Grace E Jackson and Matthew Tunzi
Abstract
The emergence of dementia during the treatment of schizophrenia is a problem that occurs
in many patients. Despite the appearance of strong cautionary language on the product
labels of antipsychotic drugs, advising clinicians to avoid the use of these medications in
the setting of dementia, there is no specific guidance for the management of dementia
in schizophrenia. Here, we report the case of successful antipsychotic drug reduction in
a 63-year-old male with paranoia and severely impaired cognition. We explain possible
explanations and the implications of this result.