What’s in a name? The evolution of the nomenclature of antipsychotic drugs

OBJECTIVE: Psychiatry as a science and psychotherapy as an art thrive on words, words that were often coined arbitrarily and that are often used idiosyncratically. This article examines the origins, progenitors and usage of the word "antipsychotic" and explores its ramifications. METHODS: Original publications from the 1950s onward, beginning with the report of the discovery of chlorpromazine, were sought for their specific references to the …