Biological Treatment - Drug Therapy Flashcards
What has the dopamine hypothesis done
Linked levels of neurotransmitters with symptoms of schizophrenia
What does drug treatment aim to do
Alter dopamine levels in order to reduce symptoms
What are anti-psychotics
Broad name for the type of drugs used to treat symptoms of schizophrenia
The 2 types of anti-psychotics
Typical anti-psychotics
Atypical anti-psychotics
Examples of typical anti-psychotic
Chlorpromazine
Key features of typical anti-psychotics
- date use began since 1950s
- forms available: tablet, syrup and injection
- dosage: up to 1000mg
How do typical anti-psychotics work
- blocks dopamine receptors to reduce action of dopamine in the brain
- dopamine levels build up then the body adjusts to drug by lowering production of dopamine
- affecting histamine receptors
Symptoms treated by beneficial effects of typical anti-psychotics
- positive symptoms eg hallucinations and thought disturbances
- negative symptoms can be used to calm patients
Side effects of typical anti-psychotics
- initial; dizziness, agitations, spleeniness, stiff jaw, weight gain
- long term; tardative dyskinesia
- neural malignant syndrome leading to high temperatures - can be fatal
What is tradative dyskinesia
Supersensitivity to dopamine shown by grimacing, blinking and lip smacking
2 types of atypical anti-psychotics
Clozapine
Risperidone
Key features clozapine
- date began since 1970s
- formals abailable: everything but injection
- dosage: 300-450mg a day
How does clozapine work
Binds to receptors of more than one neurotransmitter by temporarily blocking dopamine receptors
Symptoms treated and beneficial effects of clozapine
- helps regulate mood, reduce anxiety and repression
- can improve cog function
- offered if treatment resistant after trying 2 other drugs
Side effects clozapine
Risk of agranulocytosis potentially fatal blood condition meaning regular blood tests are needed
Key facts risperidone
- data began since 1990s
- firms available: tablets, syrup or injection
- dosage: start with small dose 4-8mg up to 12mg
How does risperidone work
Binds to receptors of more than one neurotransmitter
- binds ro dopamine and serotonin receptors more strongly than clozapine
Symptomise treated and beneficial effects of risperidone
- effective in smaller doses
- as effective as clozapine without serious side effects
Side effects of risperidone
- fewer side effects than typical antipsychotics
- Lower risk of side effects affecting movement
4 evaluation points of drug therapy
Strength - effective in reducing symptoms
Weakness - methodological problems
Weakness - side effects
Weakness - problems of control
Elaboration strength - effective in reducing symptoms of sz
- thornleys research in typical anti-psychotics showed chlorpromazine is effective
- 1121 ps compared to controls who received placebo showing drug is associated with severity of symptoms as well as Lower relapse rates
- therefore effective
Elaboration weakness - methodological problems
- Healy showed positive effects may be exaggerated because only some successful trials have their data published
- also argued its easy for research to claim pos effects because antipsychotics have powerful calming effects
- design flaws such as short term effects
- more rigorous research needed
Elaboration weakness - side effects
- questioning affect to whether drugs are effective and appropriate
- typical antipsychotics leading to dizziness, agitation, eight gain, stiff jaw
- some major side effects remain eg neuropathic malignant syndrome
- safety issues should be more greatly considered
Elaboration weakness - problems of control and harm associated
- Moriz used patients weld report to conclude main subjective effects wheee doubt, numbing and withdrawal rather than treating symptoms
- seen as human rights abuse
- strong arguments suggesting ineffective and doesn’t treat symptoms
- need to develop an ethically sound cost- effective treatment
