risperidone + haloperidol (Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich)

This entry refers to a multicenter, double-blind, randomized controlled trial conducted by the **Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich** as part of the German Research Network on Schizophrenia. The study compared the efficacy and tolerability of **risperidone** (an atypical antipsychotic) and **haloperidol** (a conventional antipsychotic) in patients experiencing their first episode of schizophrenia. Risperidone acts as a potent antagonist at both **dopamine D2** and **serotonin 5-HT2A** receptors, whereas haloperidol primarily targets the dopamine D2 receptor. The trial utilized relatively low doses of both medications (averaging 3.7–3.8 mg/day) over an 8-week period to evaluate whether the safety advantages of atypical antipsychotics, such as reduced extrapyramidal side effects and improved treatment retention, were evident even at lower dosages of conventional agents.