Lecture 14: Schizophrenia And Neuroleptics

Question 1

What happens when NMDA receptors are overstimulated and what problems does this pose for the development of new drugs to treat schizophrenia?

Answer 1

Over stimulation of NMDA receptors causes cell death, so this is difficult to avoid when trying to boost glutamate levels (if the glutamate theory is right) in order to try treat schizophrenia.

Question 2

Give two examples of psychoses.

Answer 2

Schizophrenia
&
Bipolar disorder - mania

Question 3

What are the cognitive symptoms of schizophrenia?

Answer 3

Impairment in working memory and difficulty in sustaining attention.

Question 4

Which receptors are all current schizophrenic drugs aimed at? And what problems does this pose?

Answer 4

Dopamine receptors.
This only solves positive symptoms not negative ones. And it has bad side effects like Parkinson’s symptoms because it blocks dopamine!