Antipsychotic Agents

Question 1

Antipsychotics

Answer 1

treat psychosis symptoms

Question 2

Neuroleptic

Answer 2

typical antipsychotic, term comes from side effexts bc it left terrible neurological side effects

Question 3

Worse side effects

Answer 3

best treatment outcome

Question 4

substance induced psychosis

Answer 4

hallucinations or delusions due to direct effects of substance or withdrawl from a substance causing delirium.

once the brain goes there its more likely to go there again

Question 5

what is psychosis

Answer 5

a syndrome associated with numerous different psychiatric disorders that defines as loss of contact with reality

Question 6

positive symptoms of schizophrenia spectrum

Answer 6

delusions
hallucinations

Question 7

cognitive symptoms of schizophrenia spectrum

Answer 7

distortions or exaggerations in language
disorganized speech
disorganized behaviour

Question 8

negative symptoms of schizophrenia

Answer 8

Affective flattening
Avolition – difficulty with self-directed behaviours/ motivation
Alogia – reduced speech
Anhedonia – reduced pleasure
Asociality – reduced socialization
Anosognosia – lack of insight
Apathy – lack of interest, energy or motivation
Catatonia – abnormal movements

Question 9

dopamine hypothesis and schizophrenia

Answer 9

1) Antipsychotic drugs decrease dopamine activity by blocking receptors

2) Signs and symptoms of psychosis occur with drugs that increase dopamine levels in the brain (ex. Cocaine and Amphetamines)

Question 10

dopamine

Answer 10

feelings of pleasure and also an addiction., movements and motivation. People repeat behaviours that lead to dopamine release

Question 11

seretonin hypothesis

Answer 11

Serotonin deficiency results in symptoms of depression and major depressive disorder

Serotonin deficiency may lead to cognitive symptoms

Excess serotonin can lead to positive and negative symptoms

Serotonin inhibits dopamine

Question 12

seretonin

Answer 12

contributes to well-being, happiness, helps sleep cycle, digestive system regulation. affected by exercise and light exposure

Question 13

glutamate hypothesis

Answer 13

Positive, negative, and cognitive symptoms to inactive or deficient glutamate receptors

Question 14

Diathesis-stress models

Answer 14

predispositions and vulnerabilities for schizophrenia interacts with stress to trigger the onset of the illness

Question 15

stressors can include

Answer 15

trauma
virus
prenatal and perinatal complications
substance use

Question 16

stress hormone cortisol/ Elaine walker

Answer 16

psychotic disorders are associated with elevated baseline and challenge-induced HPA activity. the antipsychotic medications refuse HPA activation and that agents augment stress hormone cortisol release exacerbate psychotic symptoms

Question 17

mesolimbic pathway

Answer 17

brain stem to the limbic area of the brain

function: control behaviours, reward system

Question 18

what is the limbic for?

Answer 18

Limbic is for emotion and libido, brainstem to limbic area, behaviour, reward system

Question 19

mesolimbic and schizophrenia

Answer 19

there’s hyperactivity of dopamine leading to the positive symptoms of schizophrenia

Question 20

mesocortical pathway

Answer 20

brain stem to the frontal cortex
function: control cognition, emotion and behavior
Executive functioning, thoughts, decision making, planning

Question 21

mesocortical and schizophrenia

Answer 21

not enough dopamine leading to negative symptoms

Question 22

nigrostrital pathway

Answer 22

substantia nigra to neostriatum
function - control movement

Question 23

tuberoinfundiblular

Answer 23

hypothalamus to anterior pituitary glands
function: control endocrine hormones

Question 24

overgeneralization of schizophrenia

Answer 24

that there’s too much dopamine, we see hyperactivity and in some cases increase in dopamine receptors sites in one area (mesolimbic) hyperactivity in another (mesocortical) and hypo/under activity in other parts of the brain

Question 25

what are 3 classifiers of antipsychotics

Answer 25

classifications help to explain the drugs pharmacological effect, target receptors as well as their side effect profile.

typical (1st gen) and atypical (2nd, 3rd gen)

potency: high, medium or low

chemical class

Question 26

high potency antipsychotics

Answer 26

• Usually require small amounts to work
• They are associated with lower levels of sedation, weight gain, and anticholinergic activity
• May have a high risk for extrapyramidal side effects

Question 27

low potency antipsychotics

Answer 27

• are dosed in the 100’s of milligrams
• high levels of sedation and anticholinergic effects
• low risk of extrapyramidal side effects