Chapter 15- Drugs for Treating Schizophrenia and Mood Disorders

Question 1

Psychiatric Drugs

Answer 1

Medications used to treat forms of mental illness.

Question 2

Psychotropic Medication

Answer 2

An alternative form for psychiatric drugs.

Question 3

Biomedical Model

Answer 3

The theoretical position the mental disorders are caused by abnormal biochemical processes in the brain.

Question 4

Antipsychotic Drugs

Answer 4

Medications used to treat symptoms of schizophrenia.

Question 5

Schizophrenia

Answer 5

A major mental illness, characterized by being “cut off” from a sense of reality. Symptoms of schizophrenia may include hallicinations and delusional thinking.

Question 6

Delusions

Answer 6

Ideas that have no foundation in reality.

Question 7

Catatonia

Answer 7

A symptom displayed by some schizophrenic patients, characterized by a rigid, prolonged body posture.

Question 8

Antidepressants

Answer 8

Drugs prescribed and used for the treatment of depression.

Question 9

Monoamine Oxidase (MAO)

Answer 9

An enzyme that breaks down dopamine, norepinephrine, or serotonin at their respective synapses in the brain.

Question 10

MAO Inhibitors

Answer 10

A class of first-generation antidepressants that reduce the effects of monoamine oxidase (MAO) in the brain.

Question 11

Tricyclic Antidepressants

Answer 11

The class of first-generation antidepressant drugs. Brand-names include Elavil, Norpramin, and Tofranil.

Question 12

Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs)

Answer 12

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.

Question 13

Serotonin-Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors (SNRIs)

Answer 13

A group of antidepressants that slow down the reuptake of serotonin and norepinephrine synapses in the brain. Remeron, Cymbalta, and Effexor are prominent examples.

Question 14

Mania

Answer 14

A mood disorder characterized by agitation, bursts of energy, and impulsiveness.

Question 15

Bipolar Disorder

Answer 15

A mood disorder in which the patient swings back and forth between feelings of depression and mania.

Question 16

Lithium Carbonate

Answer 16

A psychiatric drug used in the treatment of mania or bipolar disorder.

Question 17

Autism

Answer 17

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.

Question 18

Off-Label Usage

Answer 18

The practice of prescribing the use of a particular medication, even if the drug in question has not been FDA-approved for that purpose.

Question 19

Deinstitutionalization

Answer 19

The social policy of encouraging mentally ill individuals to be treated in community-based programs rather than in large mental hospitals.