Doses for acute manic symptoms tend to be around what relative to those used in schizophrenia?

• A. Double
• B. Same
• C. One-third
• D. Around half

Answer: (D)

Doses for acute manic symptoms tend to be around half of those used in schizophrenia because mania often responds well to lower antipsychotic exposure when used in combination with mood stabilizers, and aiming for a lower dose helps minimize extrapyramidal and sedative side effects while still providing rapid control of agitation and psychosis. In schizophrenia,Maintaining control of chronic psychosis typically requires steadier, sometimes higher, dosing to sustain symptom suppression over time. So, while an acute mania episode can be managed effectively with a moderate, lower-dose approach (adjusted for tolerability and response), schizophrenia maintenance often calls for higher or more prolonged dosing. This balance helps achieve quick symptom relief in mania with fewer side effects, reserving higher doses for longer-term control in schizophrenia.