adjunctive therapy
Additional treatment given alongside an existing primary therapy to enhance therapeutic effects or address residual symptoms.
Full Definition
Adjunctive therapy in psychiatric research refers to the administration of a second medication or intervention in addition to an existing stable treatment regimen, rather than as monotherapy. This approach is commonly studied when patients have inadequate response to first-line treatments or when targeting specific symptom domains that require combination approaches. Adjunctive studies typically require patients to be on stable doses of background medication for a specified period before randomization, and the add-on therapy is compared to placebo while maintaining the background treatment in both groups.
Usage
Usage note: Use 'adjunctive' not 'adjunct' as the adjectival form in clinical contexts.
In Context
- "The trial evaluated adjunctive aripiprazole in patients with inadequate response to antidepressant monotherapy." — Study design description
- "Patients remained on stable adjunctive therapy throughout the 12-week treatment period." — Methodology section