Biological Therapies for SZ: Drug Therapy Flashcards
What two types of drugs are there to treat SZ?
Typical Antipsychotic Drugs and Atypical Antipsychotic Drugs.
What is one name of a typical antipsychotic drug?
Chlorpromazine.
What is one name of an atypical antipsychotic drug?
Clozapine.
Which symptoms do typical antipsychotic drugs treat?
Positive symptoms (hallucinations/delusions).
What are positive symptoms thought to be the products of?
An overactive dopamine system.
What are typical antipsychotics also known as?
Dopamine antagonists.
How do dopamine antagonists work?
They reduce the effects of dopamine by binding to dopamine receptors and blocking their actions.
Which symptoms do atypical antipsychotic drugs treat?
Positive and negative symptoms.
How do atypical antipsychotic drugs work?
They only temporarily block dopamine receptors before dissociating to allow normal dopamine transmission.
Atypical antipsychotics have a major impact on _________ as well as dopamine.
Serotonin.
What are atypical antipsychotics also known as?
Second-generation antipsychotics.
How do second-generation antipsychotics claim to be different than first-generation ‘typical’ antipsychotics?
- Lower risk of extreme side effects.
- Beneficial effect on negative symptoms.
- Suitable for treatment-resistant patients.
What are the five evaluation points for drug therapies?
+ Support for Chlorpromazine (placebo research).
+ Support for atypical antipsychotics (Meltzer 2012).
- Some studies are less conclusive (meta-analysis).
- Typical antipsychotics are less appropriate.
+ Atypical antipsychotics are more appropriate.
What is a problem with the appropriateness of all drug treatments?
Side effects can lead to problems with patient compliance.
50% of SZ patients stop taking their medication after a year, and 75% after two years.
