INNOVATIVE

TREATMENTS FOR
SCHIZOPHRENIA
*Some information in this presentation comes
from outside sources

Innovative Treatments for Schizophrenia

Presented by: Neha Grover
Mentor: Dr. Atlaf Loya, an adult and geriatric
psychiatrist
Houston Behavioral Health Care
Independent Study Mentorship Fall 2015
ISM Teacher: Mrs. Click

INTRODUCTION

Attended Medical School at Dow Medical College in

Karachi, Pakistan
Completed Residency at the Medical College of Virginia
Board Certified in Adult & Geriatric Psychiatry
-Specializes in Dementia Care, Senior Care/Hospital
Consultation

ATLAF LOYA, M.D.

Dr. Atlaf Loya and

Neha Grover

ISM is a collegiate level course that allows students

to choose a mentor in a career of their choice and
follow them for two hours a week
Throughout the course of this class, you must
complete an online portfolio showcasing
assignments completed and the final project
The link to my website is: www.
nehagrover.weebly.com

INDEPENDENT STUDY MENTORSHIP

Schizophrenia is a severe brain disorder that causes

people to hear voices others do not hear and to
believe people control them and are plotting to
harm them.
About 1% of Americans are diagnosed with
Schizophrenia

SCHIZOPHRENIA
"Schizophrenia." NIMH RSS. National Institutes of Health, 2009. Web.
11 Oct. 2015.

Symptoms include hallucinations, delusions, thought

disorders, and movement disorders such as shaking
Schizophrenia can be genetic or caused by an
imbalance of chemicals in the brain
-Can be triggered by changes, major events, or
drugs
There is no cure, but there are treatments to help
deal with this condition.

SCHIZOPHRENIA
"Schizophrenia." NIMH RSS. National Institutes of Health, 2009.
Web. 11 Oct. 2015.

Patients who are unable to live at home prefer to live in a

psychiatric community than an impatient hospital because:
Less lonely because they make friendships and have social
events
Like to live by themselves and have support available if
needed
Allows family to feel comfortable about the treatment
without having to physically take care of the patient 24/7
It is best to consult with your psychiatrist when looking for a
place to live

LIVING WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA

"Schizophrenia Medications." Schizophrenia.com - Schizophrenia Medications.
Schizophrenia.com, 2010. Web. 06 Nov. 2015.

I made a survey to show me how much the people around me

know about schizophrenia and their personal experiences.
My Hypotheses were:
1. People over the age of 35 are more likely to know someone
who suffers from schizophrenia than people between the ages
of 13-18.
2. 50% of people with schizophrenia were diagnosed at the
age of 21 or older.

SURVEY

Most of the people I interviewed did not know

anyone who suffers from Schizophrenia
Patients people knew were hospitalized many times
(averaging between 7-10 times)
More adult feedback would have been useful

SURVEY RESULTS

There are two phases to treatment: acute (treating

psychotic symptoms) and maintenance (preventing
future psychotic episodes)
An issue with treating schizophrenic patients is they
feel like they do not need the medication and will
choose not to take it.

TREATMENT
"Drugs to Treat Schizophrenia." WebMD. WebMD, n.d. Web. 11 Oct. 2015.

I chose this topic because I am interested in the

condition and would like to research new treatments
coming up that will help patients who suffer with
Schizophrenia. The treatments I have chosen to
research are:
-Rexulti (Brexpiprazole)
-Famotidine
-ITI-007 (Intra-cellular Therapies Inc)
-Electric Shock Therapy

INNOVATIVE TREATMENTS OF
SCHIZOPHRENIA

Became available August 2015

Manufactured by Ostuka Pharmaceuticals
Was tested on 4,300 adults
Once daily oral dose
4% of patients had the adverse effect of gaining
weight

REXULTI (BREXPIPRAZOLE)
Grohol, John M. "Rexulti Approved for Depression, Schizophrenia Treatment." Psych
Central News. Psych Central, 16 July 2015. Web. 20 Oct. 2015.

TANGIBLE ITEM/PRODUCT

Pepcin is the brand name for famotidine

Normally used to treat heartburn, but dosage is increased
by 5 times for schizophrenic patients
Research conducted by separating 30 people into 2 groups
and giving one placebo and famotidine to the other
Symptoms started to ease within a week and significantly
after 4 weeks
It works by blocking the histamine H2 receptor (histamine
is used for signaling in the brain)
Needs more testing because high dosage could potentially
be harmful

FAMOTIDINE
Nauert, Rick. "Does Heartburn Drug, Pepcid, Hold Promise for
Schizophrenia?" Psych Central News. N.p., 2013. Web. 22 Oct. 2015.

This drug targets multiple brain systems which

allows physicians to adjust the drugs action in the
brain by changing the dosage
Increasing the dosage allows one to target the
dopamine and serotonin receptors
Helps treat agitation, aggression, and sleep
disturbances

ITI-007 (INTRA-CELLULAR THERAPIES INC)

"ITI-007 For the Treatment of Schizophrenia: A 4-week Randomized, Double-blind,
Controlled Trial." Schizophrenia Forums. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Nov. 2015.

Tested on 335 adults in the acute stage of treatment in

3 phases
Phase 1 and 2 have been released
Reduced negative symptoms associated with
schizophrenia
Did not cause any more negative side effects than
placebo
Some side effects include drowsiness, sedation, and
fatigue

ITI-007
"ITI-007 For the Treatment of Schizophrenia: A 4-week Randomized,
Double-blind, Controlled Trial." Schizophrenia Forums. N.p., n.d. Web.
05 Nov. 2015.

Last option treatment, used in combination with other

medications
Benefits those who do not respond to medicine
Modern techniques have become much safer
Usually 6-12 treatments given 3 times a week
Immediate side effects include headaches, muscle
aches, soreness, nausea, and confusion
Causes partial memory loss of recent events right after
ETC, but memory usually returns shortly

ELECTRIC SHOCK THERAPY

Hitti, Miranda. "Electroshock Therapy May Help Schizophrenia."
WebMD. WebMD, n.d. Web. 04 Nov. 2015.

ELECTRIC SHOCK THERAPY VIDEO

"Keeping Current: Tracking the Neural Effects of Electroconvulsive Therapy."
YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 18 Nov. 2015.

This course gave me insight on what the medical field

is actually like and let me explore the world of
psychiatry. My favorite part was getting to interact
with patients. I learned about many new treatments
for schizophrenia, but most still need more research
for doctors to be fully comfortable with prescribing it.

CONCLUSION

I would like to thank my mentor, Dr. Loya for making

this mentorship possible, Mrs. Click for helping me
through this whole process, and my parents for
providing me with a mentor and providing me with all
of the resources necessary to complete this project.

THANK YOU

"Schizophrenia." NIMH RSS. National Institutes of Health, 2009. Web. 11 Oct. 2015.

"Drugs to Treat Schizophrenia." WebMD. WebMD, n.d. Web. 11 Oct. 2015.

"Schizophrenia Medications." Schizophrenia.com - Schizophrenia Medications.

Schizophrenia.com, 2010. Web. 06 Nov. 2015.

Grohol, John M. "Rexulti Approved for Depression, Schizophrenia Treatment." Psych Central
News. Psych Central, 16 July 2015. Web. 20 Oct. 2015.

Nauert, Rick. "Does Heartburn Drug, Pepcid, Hold Promise for Schizophrenia?" Psych
Central News. N.p., 2013. Web. 22 Oct. 2015.

"ITI-007 For the Treatment of Schizophrenia: A 4-week Randomized, Double-blind,

Controlled Trial." Schizophrenia Forums. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Nov. 2015.

Hitti, Miranda. "Electroshock Therapy May Help Schizophrenia." WebMD. WebMD, n.d. Web.
04 Nov. 2015.

"Keeping Current: Tracking the Neural Effects of Electroconvulsive Therapy." YouTube.

YouTube, n.d. Web. 18 Nov. 2015.

WORKS CITED