Biological therapies for schizophrenia: Drug therapy

Question 1

What is the most commonly used treatment for shizophrenia?

Answer 1

Antipsychotic drugs which are split into older typical antipsychotic and atypical antipsychotic.

Question 2

What are typical antipsychotics?

Answer 2

• Developed in 1950s
• Include Chlorpromazine taken as tablets, syrup or injection
• If taken orally administered 1000mg daily doses much smaller or gradually increased.
• Declined over last 50 years.
• Work as dopamine antagonists.
• Effective as a sedative

Question 3

Explain how typical antipsychotics work as a dopamine antagonist.

Answer 3

Blocks dopamine receptors in the synapses of the brain, reducing the actions of dopamine.
When a patient begins taking Chlorpromazine dopamine levels build up, but then its production is reduced.
According to the dopamine hypothesis of schizophrenia this dopamine-antagonist effect normalises neurotransmission in key areas of the brain, reducing symptoms like hallucinations.

Question 4

What are atypical antipsychotics?

Answer 4

• Developed in the 1970s
• Attempt to find drugs with fewer severe side-effects than typical antipsychotics.
• Include Clozapine and Risperidone.

Question 5

Explain Clozapine atypical antipsychotic.

Answer 5

• First trialled in early 1970s and withdrawn for a while following the deaths of some users from a blood condition called agranulocytosis.
• 1980s found to be more effective than typical drugs and remarketed as a treatment for schizophrenia to be used when other treatments failed.
• People take regular blood tests to ensure they aren’t developing agranulocytosis.

Question 6

What are the effects of using Clozapine atypical antipsychotic?

Answer 6

Clozapine acts in a similar way to Chlorpromazine, but also acts on serotonin and glutamate receptors. The effect of this is, as well as reducing positive symptoms, the reduction of depression and anxiety, and the enhancement of mood. It is therefore prescribed when the patient is at risk of suicide.

Question 7

Explain Risperidone atypical antipsychotic.

Answer 7

• Recently developed atypical antipsychotic around since 1990s.
• Developed in attempt to produce a drug as effective as Clozapine but without its serious side effects.
• Can be taken in the form of tablets, syrup or an injection that lasts for around 2 weeks.

Question 8

What are the effects of using Risperidone atypical antipsychotic?

Answer 8

It binds to dopamine receptors more strongly than Clozapine therefore effective in smaller doses.
There’s some evidence that it produces fewer side-effects.

Question 9

What are the strengths of

Answer 9

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