Risperidone is a dopaminergic as well as a 5-HT2 antagonist. The drug was found to exert beneficial effects on both positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia. Since recently, schizophrenia is regarded as a composite of not only positive and negative but also affective and cognitive symptoms, in this study the effects of risperidone compared with typical neuroleptic haloperidol, on affective and cognitive functions were investigated in rats (anxiolytic, antidepressive and memory tests). We found, that in contrast to haloperidol, risperidone had antidepressive, anxiolytic and memory enhancing effects. The results obtained correspond with favourable effects of risperidone on mood disturbances and cognitive functions of schizophrenic patients observed under clinical conditions.