Biological therapies- drug therapy

Question 1

What is the biological approach to treating sz

Answer 1

• drug therapy- this is the prime treatment

- treatment based on dopmaine hypothesis- theory that sz is linked to increased dopamine activity in brain

Question 2

What are typical antipsychotics

Answer 2

• developed in 1950s
• less widely used today due to their side effects- they mainly appear to treat the positive symptoms and their side effects can be severe e.g dry mouth, blurred vision, dizziness, muscle spasms, cramps, tremors

Question 3

Main form of typical antipsychotic- what is it and how does it work

Answer 3

• chloropromazine
• works by blocking dopamine receptors- results later in elevated levels of dopamine metabolism as feedback signal increases release of dopamine, which is broken down in synpase
• treats positive symptoms e.g. hallucinations, delusions
• reduces action of NT

Question 4

Research for typical antipsychotics- Frude (1998)

Answer 4

• suggests typical antipsychotics have a positive effect on treatment of patients- meaning they did not have to permanently stay in a mental institution
• only 3% of 300,000 sufferes were permanent residents- before this all were hospitalised
• evidence that typical antipsychotics are effective treatment
• economic implications- more able to work

Question 5

What are atypical antipsychotics and how do they work

Answer 5

• introduced in 1970s as a result of adverse side effects of typical antipsychotics
• work differently to typical as only attach to specific dopamine receptors
• act on serotonin and dopamine receptors- helps to improve mood and reduce depression, anxiety and improve cognitive functioning
• improve negative symptoms e.g. expressed emotion

Question 6

Negative of atypical antipsychotics

Answer 6

• serious side effects e.g. blood clot
• increased risk of stroke
• even though there may be fewer than typical, the side effects are more sever

Question 7

Example of atypical antipsychotic

Answer 7

• clozapine- binds to dopamine receptors but also works on serotonin and glutamate receptors
• improves negative symptoms e.g. reduced emotional expression
• prescribed if patient is at suicide risk

Question 8

Developed atypical antipsychotic- risperidone

Answer 8

• recently developed and aims to overcome negative side effects linked to clozapine
• binds more strongly to receptors- leads to fewer side effects

Question 9

Research by Kahn et al (2008)

Answer 9

• evidence that atypical are not more effective than typical

- these drugs were compared and they were both found to be effective for at least one year

Question 10

Research to back up Kahn- Stargarat et al (2008)

Answer 10

• found no difference between two drugs in relapse rate
• suggests that one drug is not necessarily better and they both work well for treating sz
• however individual differences may mean that some respons better than others

Question 11

AO3- individual differences

Answer 11

• some may respond differently to the drug or have more/less severe side effects
• most people will expereince some short term side effects e.g. weight gain however this doesnt make typical or atypical more effective than one another
• they cannot always be used to treat sz effecively- another treatment e.g. CBT may be needed

Question 12

AO3- atypical and positive symptoms

Answer 12

• atypical more effective for treating positive symptoms as well as reducing negative symptoms
• BUT they have serious side effcrs e,g, agranulocytosis

Question 13

AO3- typical

Answer 13

• have more side effects e.g. tardive dyskensia, dry mouth, constipation
• but these are less severe
• by keeping medication to a minimum, less side effects can occur but possibility of relapse
• this means it may take a long time to treat sz as there is the risk of sz

Question 14

advanatges of biological treatments

Answer 14

• drug therapy more effective at reducing positive symptoms
• successful for large number of patients with sz, meaning more people can live in community- economical implications!!!!
• widely used and effective

Question 15

disadvantages of biological treatmenta

Answer 15

• treats symptoms but not cause
• symptoms come back if people stop taking antipsychotic drugs- leads to ‘revolving door phenomenon’- patients constantly being disharged and re admitted to hospitals