Typical antipsychotics (sometimes referred to as
first generation antipsychotics,
conventional antipsychotics,
classical neuroleptics,
traditional antipsychotics, or
major tranquilizers) are a class of
antipsychotic drugs first developed in the 1950s and used to treat
psychosis (in particular,
schizophrenia). Typical antipsychotics may also be used for the treatment of acute mania, agitation, and other conditions. The first typical antipsychotics to enter clinical use were the
phenothiazines. Second-generation antipsychotics are known as
atypical antipsychotics.