Antipsychotic Drugs Flashcards
Describe the Dopamine Hypothesis of Psychotic Disease:
Evidence supporting? Evidence against?
Abnormal DA transmission within the mesolimbic and mesocortical pathways cause psychosis sx.
Support: Antipsychotics block D2 receptors and improve sx.
Against: Antipsychotics take pharm effect immediately, but psychosis takes time to disappear (synaptic remodeling)
How is the nigrostriatal DA pathway implicated in the treatment of psychosis?
Extrapyramidal (parkinson like syndrome) effects due to drugs that block DA receptors in this tract
Describe the changes in mesolimbic DA associated with psychosis:
What kind of sx do they cause?
How are they treated?
Elevated DA signaling/ neuronal activity
Hyperactive/ positive sx.
Tx: Neuroleptics/Typical antipsychotics
Describe the changes in mesocortical DA associated with psychosis:
What kind of sx do they cause?
How are they treated?
- Decreased DA signaling/ neuronal activity
- Hypoactive/ negative sx.
- Tx: Atypical antipsychotics > Neuroleptics/ Typicals
- Negative sx are harder to treat than positive sx.
What kind of hallucinations are associated with drug abuse/ withdrawal?
Visual
What kind of hallucinations are associated with innate psychosis?
Auditory
List three toxic agents that can cause psychosis
- Heavy metals (Hg)
- Digitalis
- L-Dopa
List 5 metabolic syndromes that can cause psychosis
- Hypoglycemia
- Acute intermittent porphyria
- Cushings***
- hypo/hyper Ca++
- hypo/hyperthyroid
List 3 nutritional deficiencies that can cause psychosis
- Thiamine
- Niacin
- B12
(All of the Bs)
List 4 neurological illnesses that can cause psychosis
- stroke
- tumor (brain)
- neurodegenerative disease
- hypoxic encephalopathy
List 6 Examples of positive psychotic sx.
- Agitation
- Delusion
- Hallucination
- Disorganized speech
- Disorganized thought
- Insomnia
(Addition of a quality that was not originally there/ altertness, increased activity)
List 6 Examples of negative psychotic sx.
- Apathy
- Flat Affect
- Lack of motivation
- Lack of pleasure
- Poverty of speech
- Social isolation
How does treatment of psychosis differ in an inpatient vs. outpatient setting? What are the goals like in each situation?
- Inpatient–treat active psychosis, get patient home/ prevent violence
- Outpatient–prevent relapse, maintain social adjustment
What is the MOA for ALL Antipsychotic Drugs?
How does this differ between typicals and atypicals?
Competitive block–> DA + 5HT Receptors
Typicals: Affinity D2 > 5HT2
Atypical: Affinity 5HT2 >D2
Which part of the DA pway is primarily targeted by the atypicals?
How is this possible?
Which patients are these drugs exceptionally good for?
Do they treat + or - sx?
Mesolimbic > Nigrostriatal
- 5HT2 regulates release of DA in mesolimbic away
- Atypicals are more selective for 5HT2R’s
Good for drug refractory pts
Treat + and - sx.
Where are antipsychotics metabolized? Excreted?
Met: liver, active and inactive metabolites
Excreted: Renal, glucuronide conjugates
What is the half life like for antipsychotic drugs?
Broad range: 20-40hrs.
How are antipsychotic drugs absorbed? excreted?
Erratically in GI tract; renally excreted
What are three effects of D2 blockade that initially activate pre-synaptic D2 receptors?
- ^ DA synth and release
- ^ cAMP
- LOWER K+ currents
* Will eventually be reversed
Describe the short and long term effects of antipsychotics at the D2 pre-synaptic cleft
short term: activate neurons
long term: inactivate neurons
Describe the short and long term effects of antipsychotics at the D2 post-synaptic cleft
short term: receptor blockade
long term: receptor hypersensitivity (due to low DA levels)
Describe the symptomatic changes with 1-3 days of antipsychotic treatment (4)
- Decrease agitation/hostility
- Decrease combativeness/ aggression
- Decrease anxiety
- Normalization of eating and sleeping patterns
Describe the symptomatic changes with 1-2 weeks of antipsychotic treatment (3)
- Increase socialization
- Improve self care
- Improve mood
Describe the symptomatic changes with 3-6weeks of antipsychotic treatment
- Improve disorders thought
- Decrease delusion and hallucination
- Patients can have appropriate conversation and participate in psychotherapy***
How long does it typically take the for antipsychotics to alleviate positive sx. ?
1-3 weeks
Haloperidol:
Drug Class
Therapeutic uses (3)
Notable ADRs
Typical Antipsychotic–Butyrophenone
Tx: Psychosis, Gilles de la Tourette’s, Huntington’s
ADRs: Severe extrapyramidal effects
Chlorpromazine: Drug Class Therapeutic uses (2) ADRs (2) CI
Typical Antipsychotic–Phenothiazine (prototype)
Tx: Psychosis, intractable hiccups
ADRs: *Fewer extrapyramidal effects due to simultaneous anticholinergic effects (maintain balance), deposits in lens and cornea
CIs: seizure disorders (lowers threshold)
All antipsychotics with the exception of these two can be used as antiemetics
- aripiprazole
2. thioridazine