Chapter 15- Drugs for Treating Schizophrenia and Mood Disorders Flashcards
Psychiatric Drugs
Medications used to treat forms of mental illness.
Psychotropic Medication
An alternative form for psychiatric drugs.
Biomedical Model
The theoretical position the mental disorders are caused by abnormal biochemical processes in the brain.
Antipsychotic Drugs
Medications used to treat symptoms of schizophrenia.
Schizophrenia
A major mental illness, characterized by being “cut off” from a sense of reality. Symptoms of schizophrenia may include hallicinations and delusional thinking.
Delusions
Ideas that have no foundation in reality.
Catatonia
A symptom displayed by some schizophrenic patients, characterized by a rigid, prolonged body posture.
Antidepressants
Drugs prescribed and used for the treatment of depression.
Monoamine Oxidase (MAO)
An enzyme that breaks down dopamine, norepinephrine, or serotonin at their respective synapses in the brain.
MAO Inhibitors
A class of first-generation antidepressants that reduce the effects of monoamine oxidase (MAO) in the brain.
Tricyclic Antidepressants
The class of first-generation antidepressant drugs. Brand-names include Elavil, Norpramin, and Tofranil.
Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs)
A group of antidepressants that slow down the reuptake of serotonin at synapses in the brain. Prozac, Celexa, Lexapro, Paxil, and Zoloft are prominent examples.
Serotonin-Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors (SNRIs)
A group of antidepressants that slow down the reuptake of serotonin and norepinephrine synapses in the brain. Remeron, Cymbalta, and Effexor are prominent examples.
Mania
A mood disorder characterized by agitation, bursts of energy, and impulsiveness.
Bipolar Disorder
A mood disorder in which the patient swings back and forth between feelings of depression and mania.
Lithium Carbonate
A psychiatric drug used in the treatment of mania or bipolar disorder.
Autism
A form of developmental disability, typically appearing during the first three years of life, that affects the normal development of the brain and areas of social communication and communication skills. Autistic children and adults have difficulties and verbal and nonverbal communication and emotional responses.
Off-Label Usage
The practice of prescribing the use of a particular medication, even if the drug in question has not been FDA-approved for that purpose.
Deinstitutionalization
The social policy of encouraging mentally ill individuals to be treated in community-based programs rather than in large mental hospitals.
