— Biological Therapies For Schizophrenia - Drug Therapy: Flashcards
how do antipsychotics work?
drug therapy works by using antipsychotics to reduce symptoms of schizophrenia. this works by reducing the action of dopamine in the limbic system
provide an example of a typical antipsychotic
Chlorpromazine
how are typical antipsychotics effective in reducing symptoms of schizophrenia
typical antipsychotics bind to dopamine receptors but don’t stimulate them, reducing the action of dopamine. This reduces stimulation of the dopamine system reducing positive symptoms such as hallucinations. however they ctend to have more severe side effects
provide an example of atypical antipsychotics
clozapine and risperidone
how do atypical antipsychotics differ from typical
they only temporarily occupy the receptors and then rapidly dissociate to allow normal dopamine transmission. This is thought to be responsible for fewer side effects. They also act on other neurotransmitters, particularly serotonin and they address negative symptoms e.g. avolition as well as positive symptoms.
what is the key advantage of clozapine
The key advantage of Clozapine is the improvements in both positive and negative symptoms which
patients experience. This is particularly useful considering that SZ has a 50%
comorbidity rate with depression
what did Meltzer et al. (2012) conclude about the effectiveness of clozapine?
concluded that Clozapine is more effective than typical antipsychotics and other atypical antipsychotics and that it is effective in 30-50% of treatment-resistant cases where typical antipsychotics have failed. as such this suggests that antipsychotics are reasonably effective in treating schizophrenia
explain what all of the supporting research tells us about using drug therapies to treat schizophrenia
This suggests that antipsychotic drugs are reasonably effective at treating schizophrenia. However, as 36% of patients didn’t relapse when on the placebo, this implies that cognitive factors are also important in the treatment of schizophrenia and so drugs may not be entirely necessary in all cases.
assess the overall usefulness of drug therapy
overall the use of drug therapy is useful in treating patients as it leads to an enhanced quality of life. furthermore patients are given independence which has positive impacts on the economy as they’re able to return to work and arent reliant on institutionalised care
provide 3 evaluation points to make when assessing the usefulness of antipsychotics
- ethical considerations; cost-benefit; side effects
- supporting research from Thornley et al and Meltzer et al
- use of interactions approach has more ecological validity than using reductionist treatments alone
summarise the side effects of long term use of antipsychotics
long term use can result in tardive dyskinesia which causes involuntary facial movements such as blinking and lip smacking
furthermore patients taking atypical antipsychotics, Clozapine, must be continually monitored using blood tests.
What do the side effects tell us about using drug therapies to treat schizophrenia
the use of antipsychotics is severley limited when considering the side effects they cause. This suggests that antipsychotics may not be appropriate for all patients and so should be prescribed with caution. The side effects can be so distressing for patients that they stop taking the medication entirely
Therefore, a cost-benefit analysis should be carried out to consider whether the benefit of symptom reduction outweighs the cost of side effects for each specific patient.
which researchers provide Supporting evidence
for the use of antipsychotics
Thornley et al
Meltzer et al
what antipsychotic did thornley et al review compared to placebos
Thornley et al. (2003) reviewed studies comparing the effects of Chlorpromazine and a placebo. Data from 13 trials of 1121 participants found that Chlorpromazine was associated with better overall functioning and reduced symptom severity.
