Drug Therapy: Typical and Atypical antipsychotics

Question 1

What are typical antipsychotic drugs used for?

Answer 1

to reduce the intensity of positive symptoms, blocking dopamine receptors in the synapses of the brain and thus reducing the action of dopamine

Question 2

What do typical antipsychotic drugs do?

Answer 2

blocking dopamine receptors in the synapses of the brain and thus reducing the action of dopamine

Question 3

How do typical antipsychotic drugs work to reduce dopemine?

Answer 3

• They arrest dopamine production by blocking the D2 receptors in synapses that absorb dopamine,
• in the mesolimbic pathway thus reducing positive symptoms, such as auditory hallucinations

Question 4

What is a limitation of taking a typical antipsychotic drug?

Answer 4

Block all dopamine activity

Question 5

What do newer drugs, called “atypical antipsychotics” attempt to target?

Answer 5

D2 dopamine activity in the limbic system but not D3 receptors in other parts of the brain.

Question 6

What is an example of atypical antipsychotics?

Answer 6

Clozapine

Question 7

What does clozapine do?

Answer 7

bind to dopamine, serotonin and glutamate receptors

Question 8

What do atypical antipsychotics work on?

Answer 8

negative symptoms, improving mood, cognitive functions and reducing depression and anxiety

Question 9

What is a positive of taking atypical antipsychotics?

Answer 9

They generally have fewer side effects eg. less effect on movement Eg. Clozapine, Olazapine and Risperidone.

Question 10

What is a strength of taking antipsychotic drugs?

Answer 10

highly effective as they are relatively cheap to produce, easy to administer and have a positive effect on many sufferers

Question 11

What is an issue with taking antipsychotic drugs?

Answer 11

they do not “cure” schizophrenia, rather they dampen symptoms down so that patients can live fairly normal lives in the community

Question 12

What did Kahn et al. (2008) find?

Answer 12

that antipsychotics are generally effective for at least one year, but second- generation drugs were no more effective than first-generation ones

Question 13

What did a meta analysis by Crossley et al. (2010) suggest?

Answer 13

That Atypical antipsychotics are no more effective, but do have less side effects

Question 14

What may the recovery of schizophrenia also be down to?

Answer 14

psychological factorsThe placebo effect is when patients’ symptoms are reduced because they believe that it should

Question 15

What did Thornley et al find in their meta-analysis?

Answer 15

the effects of Chlorpromazine to placebo conditions and found Chlorpromazine to be associated with better overall functioning – Drug therapy is an effective treatment for SZ.

Question 16

What are some ethical issues with using anti-psychotics

Answer 16

Antipsychotics have been used in hospitals to calm patients and make them easier for staff to work with rather than for the patients’ benefit – Can lead to the abuse of the Human Rights Act (no one should be subject to degrading treatment).