Which medication is indicated as monotherapy for schizoaffective disorder?

Which medication is indicated as monotherapy for schizoaffective disorder?

• A. Clozapine
• B. Risperidone
• C. Olanzapine
• D. Paliperidone

Answer: (D)

Paliperidone has a specific, approved use for schizoaffective disorder as monotherapy, meaning it can be prescribed alone to address the full syndrome without adding another mood-stabilizing or antidepressant agent. Its mechanism—blocking dopamine D2 and serotonin 5-HT2A receptors—helps reduce core psychotic symptoms, and the labeling recognizes its effectiveness in schizoaffective disorder when used by itself. The other antipsychotics listed are commonly used for schizophrenia and mood disorders but do not have an explicit monotherapy indication for schizoaffective disorder in standard labeling, or are more typically reserved for other situations (such as treatment-resistant schizophrenia for clozapine). Therefore, this medication is the best choice for monotherapy in schizoaffective disorder.

Paliperidone has a specific, approved use for schizoaffective disorder as monotherapy, meaning it can be prescribed alone to address the full syndrome without adding another mood-stabilizing or antidepressant agent. Its mechanism—blocking dopamine D2 and serotonin 5-HT2A receptors—helps reduce core psychotic symptoms, and the labeling recognizes its effectiveness in schizoaffective disorder when used by itself. The other antipsychotics listed are commonly used for schizophrenia and mood disorders but do not have an explicit monotherapy indication for schizoaffective disorder in standard labeling, or are more typically reserved for other situations (such as treatment-resistant schizophrenia for clozapine). Therefore, this medication is the best choice for monotherapy in schizoaffective disorder.