1.1.2 DT Anti Psychotic drugs (Bi) Flashcards
What is anti psychotic medication?
Medication used to treat serious mental illnesses such as schizophrenia
How many people have schizophrenia?
1 in 100
What are the positive symptoms of schizophrenia?
• hallucinations
• delusions
(The seeing/tasting/hearing things that aren’t there)
What are the negative symptoms of schizophrenia?
Lack of something e.g a lack of emotion causing the individual to isolate themself
What is schizophrenia not?
Split personality
What are psychotic breaks?
Temporary breaks from reality experienced by those with schizophrenia
What are transitional anti psychotic drugs known as?
Neuroleptic drugs
How long have neuroleptic drugs been around?
Since the mid 1900s
How do neuroleptic drugs work in the treatment of schizophrenia?
reduce the activity of the neurotransmitter dopamine by blocking its post synaptic receptor sites, thus reducing the positive symptoms of schizophrenia
What is dopamine associated with?
High levels of dopamine are connected with the positive symptoms of schizophrenia
What are newer anti psychotic drugs known as?
Atypical anti psychotic drugs
Give an example of an atypical drug:
Clozapine
How do atypical antipsychotic drugs work?
They block receptors in the brain for several neurotransmitters, including serotonin. Clozapine temporarily blocks dopamine receptors, after which dopamine levels return to pre-drug levels
What occurs in a placebo trial?
Random allocation of individuals to the drug or placebo group
What is the best way to eliminate researcher bias?
A double blind trial, this also means fewer demand characteristics on the participants part
What does the placebo group act as?
It is the control group it acts as the baseline for comparison
How would you control EVs in a placebo trial using patients with schizophrenia?
You would use patients of the same age, who have been suffering with schizophrenia for a similar amount of time
What is a meta analysis?
Gathering and analysing existing data
How much do neuroleptic drugs reduce the positive symptoms of schizophrenia by?
75%
What percentage of patients are atypical drugs effective in reducing the positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia?
50% of patients who don’t respond to neuroleptic drugs
How many patients respond to neither neuroleptic or atypical drugs?
12.5% or one eighth
What are the advantages of antipsychotic drugs?
- patients no longer need to be institutionalised
- patients function better in society
- patients can engage in other forms of treatment
What side effects do neuroleptic drugs have?
- grogginess (50%)
- dry mouth (16%)
- blurred vision (16%)
What do 10-20% of patients treated with neuroleptic drugs develop?
Tardive dyskinesia - involuntary movements of the mouth and tongue
What is drug therapy otherwise known as?
Chemotherapy
What side effect can clozapine (atypical drugs) develop?
A fatal blood disease in 1-2% of patients, this requires weekly white blood cell monitoring and can cause weight gain
Why might schizophrenic patients not comply with treatment?
- don’t think they need it
- feel better
- delusions - think it is poison
- side effects
What is revolving door syndrome?
Re-admission of patients after they discontinue their medication
What is the relapse rate of schizophrenic patients not taking their medication?
70% in the first year
Should patients be given antipsychotic medication without consent? E. G sectioned patients
Not in a fit state to decide themselves and if the doctor thinks it is best
But what about the side effects? Free will?
