Antipsychotics cards Flashcards
What is psychosis?
Severe disturbance in brain function where perceptions are disrupted/dissociated from reality
What are the symptoms of psychosis?
Hallucinations, delusion, suspicion, paranoia
Psychosis is associated with…
disorganized behavior and difficulty in daily life
What is schizophrenia?
A condition characterized by relapsing psychosis episodes often treatable with antipsychosis medication
What are “positive symptoms” of schizophrenia?
Hallucinations, paranoia, delusions
Often treatable
What are “negative symptoms” of schizophrenia?
Apathy, social withdrawal, inattentiveness
Usually occur later in disease, not easily treatable
What drugs can induce psychosis?
Drugs that increase dopamine and serotonin levels in the brain
What are examples of dopamine-elevating drugs?
Cocaine and amphetamine can cause hallucinations, both increase dopamine neurotransmission
Hallucinogens like PCP (NMDA receptor antagonist) and LSD (5-HT2a agonist) support what?
The role of glutamate & serotonin imbalance in psychosis (both cause drug-induced psychosis)
Glutamate and serotonin are ____ with DA neurotransmission in the _____.
Glutamate and serotonin are linked with DA neurotransmission in the cortex and limbic system
What is the psychosis and dopamine hypothesis?
Since drugs that increase DA cause or aggravate psychosis, people with schizophrenia must have more DA receptors. Blocking DA receptors will cure psychosis.
What is the issue with many antipsychotic drugs?
Blocking DA limbic synaptic activity helps alleviate positive symptoms but blocking DA cortex activity can make negative symptoms worse
How do new antipsychotics better treat schizophrenia?
By having a higher affinity for 5-HT2a receptors over D2 receptors, DA transmission remains normal in the limbic and cortex system
Antipsychotics are also called
Neuroleptic drugs
Which 2 drugs are D2 antagonists?
Haloperidol and Olanzapine
Haloperidol prioritizes antagonising…
D2 receptors over 5HT2a receptors
Olanzapine prefers antagonizing…
5HT2a receptors over D2 receptors
Why is olanzapine a better antipsychotic than haloperidol?
Olanzapine and haloperidol are both equally good at curing positive symptoms, but olanzapine does a better job at curing negative symptoms
5HT2a antagonist also ____ glutamate release in the cortex
5HT2a antagonists also increase glutamate release in the cortex
PCP causes…
Hallucinations and Psychosis
Schizophrenia patients have _____ NMDA receptor expression and _____ PCP binding sites
schizophrenia patients have decreased NMDA receptor expression and increased PCP binding sites
Some newer drugs are under investigation which _____ as a schizophrenia treatment
increase NMDA receptor activation or increase glycine levels
What are the adverse effects of antipsychotics on the CNS?
Parkinson’s symptoms -> (D2 antagonism in striatum)
Hormonal dysregulation/weight gain -> (D2 antagonism in diencephalon)
Sedation (H1 and alpha1 antagonism)
What are some autonomic adverse effects of antipsychotics?
Hypotension -> (alpha 1 receptor blockade)
Atropine-like side effects (dried mouth, blurred vision, constipation) -> muscarinic antagonist
Why is compliance low on many antipsychotics?
Adverse effects can be severe, patients are mentally ill, co-administration of drugs can be complicated (most people with schizo tendencies are on more than 1 med)
