biological treatments

Question 1

what is the function of the prefrontal cortex?

Answer 1

it helps people think logically and orange their thoughts.

Question 2

what is the role of the prefrontal cortex in sz?

Answer 2

many schizophrenics have lower activity in this area which could be linked to delusions and disorganised thoughts.

Question 3

what is the function of the visual and auditory cortex?

Answer 3

processes information received from the eyes and ears.

Question 4

what is the role of the visual cortex and auditory cortex in sz?

Answer 4

sz’s have the same activity in these areas when they hallucinate as sane people do when they have genuine visual and auditory experiences.

Question 5

what is the function of the basal ganglia?

Answer 5

it is located deep inside the brain and affects movement and thinking skills.

Question 6

what is the role of the basal ganglia in sz?

Answer 6

research has shown that this structure is larger in sz’s which can cause motor dysfunction.

Question 7

what is the tole of the amygdala?

Answer 7

responsible for basic feelings such as ear, lust and hunger.

Question 8

what is the role of the amygdala in sz?

Answer 8

small in sz’s so can link to loss of emotion.

Question 9

what is the function of dopamine?

Answer 9

responsible for feelings of pleasure.

also affects thinking and movement.

Question 10

what is the role of dopamine in sz?

Answer 10

low levels in certain brain areas are linked to negative symptoms as these are linked to a loss of pleasure.

high levels in brain areas are linked to positive symptoms.

Question 11

what is the most common treatment for sz?

Answer 11

antipsychotic drugs.

(syrups or tablets)

Question 12

how is medication administered to non-compliant patients?

Answer 12

if a patient is unlikely to take their medication, they will get injections every 2-4 weeks.

they can be used to stop or prevent psychosis (long or short term).

Question 13

what are typical antipsychotics?

Answer 13

typical aps have been around since the 1950s.

they are strongly associated with the dopamine hypothesis.

Question 14

how can antipsychotics be divided?

Answer 14

antipsychotics can be divided into the typical traditional drugs and the new atypical second generation drugs.

Question 15

how do typical antipsychotics work?

Answer 15

• act as dopamine antagonists.
• they work by blocking dopamine receptors in the synapses in the brain, reducing the action of dopamine.
• They are ‘tightly bound’ in receptors and target all dopamine receptors.

According t dopamine hypothesis, this should normalise neurotransmission in key areas if the brain, which in turn reduce hallucinations

Question 16

what is an example of a typical antipsychotic?

Answer 16

chlorpromazine.

Question 17

what effect does chlorpromazine have?

Answer 17

• has a sedative effect.
• it is offend used to clam patients with sz and other conditions.
• often used when patient Trae first admitted to hospital and are anxious.

Question 18

why is chlorpromazine commonly administered acutely as a syrup?

Answer 18

syrups are absorbed quicker.

Question 19

what is tardive dyskinesia?

Answer 19

movement side effects.

sometimes resembling Parkinson’s disease.

Question 20

why were atypical antipsychotics developed?

Answer 20

they were developed in the 1970s to improve the effectiveness of treating negative symptoms and reduce the side effects of topical antipsychotic drugs.

Question 21

what is an atypical antipsychotic?

Answer 21

clozapine

Question 22

in what way is the mechanism of atypical antipsychotics similar and and dissimilar to typical antipsychotics?

Answer 22

Unlike typical antipsychotics, atypical ones target et a range of neurotransmitters.
1. It binds to and blocks dopamine receptors in the same way as typical antipsychotics.
2. Also acts on serotonin.
3. Acts on glutamate receptors – improves cognitive functioning.
4. They are ‘loosely bound’ to a variety of receptors.

Question 23

what are the possible side effects of atypical antipsychotics?

Answer 23

• Agranulocytosis
• Weight gain.
• Cardiovascular problems.

Question 24

how is risperidone different to clozapine?

Answer 24

Like clozapine, risperidone binds to dopamine and serotonin receptors.

But risperidone binds more strongly than clozapine to dopamine receptors = more effective in smaller doses than most antipsychotics and has fewer side effects.

Question 24

why was risperidone developed?

Answer 24

It was developed because clozapine was involved in the deaths of some patients from a blood condition called agranulocytosis.

Patients now taking clozapine have regular blood tests.

Question 25

What % of dopaminergic receptor blockade is thought to be required for clinical efficacy, and what are the problems with this?

Answer 25

The drugs aren’t selective and end up blocking dopamine receptors in other areas of the brain,

leads to side effects such as dizziness and agitation.

Question 26

strength = evidence for effectiveness

Answer 26

strength = evidence shows antipsychotics are moderately effective.

Thornley et al (2003) reviewed data from 13 trials (1121) pps) and found that chlorpromazine was associated with better functioning and reduced symptom severity compared with a placebo.

There is also support for the benefits of atypical antipsychotics. Meltzer et al. (2012) concluded that clozapine is more effective than typical antipsychotics, and that it is 30-50% more effective in treatment resistant cases.

Therefore evidence suggests that antipsychotics are reasonably effective therapies for SZ.

Question 27

limitation = issues with evidence

Answer 27

effectiveness of antipsychotics has been challenged.

Healy (2012) suggests that many published studies are of short duration only, and have been published multiple times, giving the impression of more evidence than is really available.

This means that the powerful calming effects of antipsychotics may be effective in the short-term, but that side effects may occur with more prolonged treatment.

Therefore the evidence on the effectiveness of antipsychotics may not be as strong as it is sometimes reported.

Question 27

limitation = ethical issues

Answer 27

use of antipsychotic medication raise significant ethical issues.

Critics argue that if side effects, deaths and psychosocial consequences were taken into account, a cost-benefit of antipsychotic’s advantages would most probably be negative. It has also been questioned whether severely ill patients are sufficiently capable to give informed consent.

It could therefore be argued that the cost of drug treatments to the user with sz does not outweigh the benefits of reduced symptoms.

this questions the effectiveness of these therapies.

Question 27

atypical is better overall: ao3

Answer 27

Atypical antipsychotics are claimed to have a number of advantages when compared to typical antipsychotics.

advantage of atypical antipsychotics = patients have less side effects.

e.g, the more recent newly developed atypical antipsychotics, are less likely to produce extrapyramidal side effects associated with motor skills.

Therefore patients are more likely to continue with their medication, which means they are more likely to see a reduction in their symptoms making biological therapies successful.

Question 27

limitation = side effects

Answer 27

antipsychotics drugs have side effects.

associated with dizziness, agitation, sleepiness, stiff jaw, weight gain and itchy skin and Tardive dyskinesia.

The most serious side effect is neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS) caused by dopaminergic blockade in the hypothalamus, and causes high temperature, delirium and coma, and can be fatal.

Atypical antipsychotics were developed to reduce side effects but some still exist.