Description:

Haloperidol is a butyrophenone and acts as a dopamine receptor antagonist. It induces a state of calmness and controls agitation, hallucination and delusion.

Indications:

schizophrenia: Treatment of symptoms and prevention of relapse. other psychoses: Especially paranoid, acute mania and hypomania. Emergency control of behavioral disturbances, Childhood-onset pervasive developmental disorder or schizophrenia, severe refractory agitation in the elderly.

The effects of haloperidol are predominantly due to dopamine antagonism although acts on other receptors (e.g. Histamine H1) may enhance these actions.