Question: For people identified as having experienced a first episode of psychosis (aged 14+), how effective is low dose anti-psychotic medication*, compared with standard dose anti-psychotic medication† in improving any patient outcomes?

Answer:

Weak evidence, from two randomised controlled trials included in a systematic review and one additional small randomised controlled trial, suggests that low dose anti-psychotic medication may be at least as effective as standard dose for treating people with first episode psychosis and that lower doses are associated with fewer extrapyramidal symptoms. The limited available evidence was for two specific drugs only, risperidone and haloperidol. Further studies are needed to confirm these effects and to explore the effectiveness of low doses of other antipsychotic medications.

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