Atypical neuroleptics/antipsychotics quetiapine

Atypical antipsychotics The second generation or so-called atypical antipsychotics have chemical, pharmacological, and clinical properties that are different from those of the classical antipsychotics/ neuroleptics. The most commonly used atypicals include clozapine, olanzapine, risperidone, and quetiapine. 

The term neuroleptic is often applied to drngs that have relatively prominent experimental and clinical evidence of antagonism of D2-dopamine-receptor activity, with substantial risk of adverse extrapyramidal nenrological effects and inaeased release of prolactin. The term atypical antipsychotic is applied to agents that are associated with snbstantially lower risks of snch extrapyramidal effects. Representative examples inclnde aripiprazole, clozapine, quetiapine, ziprasidone, and low doses of olanzapine and risperidone. 

Although the term neuroleptic initially encompassed this whole unique syndrome and is still used as a synonym for antipsychotic, it now is used to emphasize the more neurological aspects of the syndrome i.e., the parkinsonian and other extrapyramidal effects). Except for clozapine, arip-iprazole, quetiapine, ziprasidone, and low doses of olanzapine and risperidone, antipsychotic drugs available in the U.S. also have effects on movement and posture and can be called neuroleptic. The more general term antipsychotic is preferable, as reinforced by the growing number of modern atypical antipsychotic drugs with little extrapyramidal action. 

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