Biological Therapies - Drug Therapy

Question 1

How do all antipsychotics work?

Answer 1

By reducing dopaminergic transmission.

Question 2

What is an example of a typical antipsychotic?

Answer 2

Chlorpromazine - 1950s

Question 3

What is an example of an atypical antipsychotic

Answer 3

Clozapine - 1970s, Risperadone - 1990s

Question 4

What are the dosage, function and effects of Chlorpromazine?

Answer 4

Up to 1000mg per day.
Binds to dopamine so it gets reuptaken and destroyed.
Side effects are sedation, tardive dyskinesia and neuroleptic malignant syndrome.
They decrease positive symptoms but exacerbate negative ones.

Question 5

What are the dosage, function and effects of Clozapine?

Answer 5

300-450mg per day
Dopamine, serotonin, glutamate
Agranulocytosis.

Question 6

What are the dosage, function and effects of Risperidone?

Answer 6

4-8mg per day
Dopamine and serotonin
Minimal/fewer than other drugs side effects.

Question 7

What is the evaluation - Thornley

Answer 7

Thornley found the effects of Chlorpromazine to be better overall functioning and reduced symptom severity over a control group. This included 1121 participants.

Question 8

What is the evaluation - wide range of side effects

Answer 8

Typical side effects include dizziness, agitation, stiff muscles, weight gain and low blood pressure. For those on clozapine, regular blood tests are necessary to ensure they don’t develop agranulocytosis - low white blood cell count leading to infections and death.

Question 9

What is the strength - Gilbert?

Answer 9

Found 53% of patients relapsed within 10 months of stopping medication, compared with 16% who continued taking it.

Question 10

What is the limitation - Issue with antipsychotics.

Answer 10

Antipsychotics lower overall dopamine levels, which is good to reduce positive symptoms however massively increases negative symptoms by worsening hyperdopaminergia.