Managing Schizophrenia Beyond Standard of Care: Insights From Patient Cases

Panelists discuss how clinicians can better identify subtle and unreported schizophrenia symptoms through systematic evaluation of positive symptoms, negative symptoms, cognitive deficits, and functional impairment, which often requires input from family members and caregivers.

Panelists discuss how Jacob’s case demonstrates the importance of recognizing negative symptoms that preceded positive symptoms by nearly a year, and how a partial response to risperidone with continued breakthrough symptoms and cognitive “fogginess” indicates the need for treatment optimization.

Panelists discuss how xanomeline/trospium chloride represents a first-in-class medication with a novel muscarinic mechanism that addresses positive, negative, and cognitive symptoms while avoiding typical antipsychotic adverse effects such as movement disorders and prolactin elevation.

Panelists discuss how real-world experience with xanomeline/trospium chloride shows efficacy across all 3 symptom domains with manageable gastrointestinal adverse effects that typically resolve within 2 weeks, requiring slow titration and patient education about empty stomach dosing.