Aripiprazole: review of its pharmacology and therapeutic use in psychiatric disorders.

The discovery of antipsychotic medications has revolutionized the treatment of schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders. However, side effects such as extrapyramidal symptoms (EPS) and tardive dyskinesia (TD), electrocardiogram (ECG) changes, weight gain, and metabolic disturbances indicate the continued need to develop new agents. The introduction of atypical drugs such as clozapine, risperidone, olanzapine, quetiapine, and ziprasidone has widened our choices. This article provides an overview of the pharmacology, efficacy, and techniques for the clinical use of aripiprazole, a novel agent with a unique pharmacological profile.